Federal Minister Planning, Development & Reform Ahsan Iqbal said that present government is working hard to lay strong foundation of knowledge economy. For this purpose, the budget of Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been jacked up to Rs.78 billion from Rs.48 billion in two years. Ahsan Iqbal stated this while addressing Pakistani students at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia USA. Minister Planning & Development said that federal government is fully committed to promote higher education in the country through its improved accessibility to people in far-flung areas of the country. In this regard, university campuses would be set up at all districts of the country. He noted that we have been lagging behind in the world by ignoring science & technology, which should be focused greatly to survive in present economic-ideological era. “We have to follow agenda based on hard work, quality and command on technology to move forward in today’s competitive world”, he stated. Ahsan Iqbal also spoke on key projects – Pak-US Knowledge Corridor and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – and believed that these projects would take country to new heights in coming years. Minister described Pakistan an “emerging success story”. However, some elements in politics and media always portray a gloomy picture of the country. “We need to infuse positivity in the nation that is the panacea to overcome all problems, he asserted. He called upon Pakistani students, studying abroad to contribute in country’s development by returning to the homeland once they complete their studies.
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