Recently, the Planning Commission of Pakistan has initiated a comprehensive study on the future development of the country titled Pakistan Outlook 2035. As said, the initiative will assess long-term challenges in light of the prevailing economic crisis and changing global dynamics in key sectors of the economy and identify policy choices for policymakers for the rapid socioeconomic development in the country.
Nation-building and sustainable and eco-friendly economic growth are the major challenges to any nation which needs a comprehensive study of available natural and manmade resources, availability of essential infrastructure, communication links, feasible weather, skilled workforce, and technical expertise to initiate, and operate a project and generate revenue for the nation. Whereas, any miscalculation or wrong decision could lead to the failure of the project and the loss of valuable national exchequer. Historically, Pakistan progressed during the initial decades of independence through the implementation of its five years development plans which were first conceived by the Country’s first Finance Minister Malik Ghulam Muhammad and approved by the first Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan in 1949.
However, the successive political government in the post-Zia era could not conceive and implement a national development plan due to the persistent political instability in the country. Over the past three decades, the nation suffered the backlashes of politically conceived messy growth, the repercussions of a balk of circular debt, along with corruption. In fact, development should be an unhindered activity at the national level under government supervision without any political prejudice and interference based on the necessary fundamentals and prerequisites. The legislature must restrain from middling in development work, while the executive should set its priorities according to the recommendations of the planning commission, so a comprehensive, uniform, and equally beneficial growth could be visualized across the country.
