ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said that the private sector should pursue environment friendly policies in order to deal with the issue of climate change.

Addressing the National Forum for Environment and Health here in Islamabad on Tuesday, he pointed out that Pakistan is amongst the most vulnerable countries to climate change. He emphasized that we will have to convert agriculture and industrial production into eco-friendly practices.

The Minister for Planning said it is only through collective efforts we can achieve the sustainable development goals which envisage preservation of land and water resources as well as doing away with illiteracy, poverty and disease from the world. Meanwhile, addressing a ceremony here in Islamabad on Tuesday, the Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence for modern knowledge-based economies.

Encouraging youth to take up research and education in the fields relating to artificial intelligence and robotics, he mentioned how the federal government’s laptop scheme has changed the knowledge landscape in Pakistan and brought it to one of the leading countries in the world in terms of IT-based entrepreneurship.

The Minister said without political stability no country can gain economic stability and continuity of long term policies are only possible way forward to achieve economic targets. Expressing regret over the PTI’s policies regarding the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said the mega project was our key focus because it has the potential to grow our export sectors including IT, agriculture and industry.