Report – Roundtable on “The Role of Planning and Development in the Economy of Pakistan”

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The Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized a Roundtable on March 11, 2020 titled, “The Role of Planning and Development in the Economy of Pakistan”. Honourable Mr. Asad Umar, Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, was the Chief Guest at the occasion. Speakers at the event included: Dr. Muhammad Munir Ahmad, DG P&DD, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), Dr. Liaqat Ali Shah, Executive Director, Centre of Excellence for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CoE-CPEC) and Dr. Usman W. Chohan, Director, Economics and National Affairs, Centre for Aerospace and Security Studies (CASS).

INAUGURAL SESSION

Welcome Remarks – Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry,
Director General, ISSI

Welcoming the speakers and guests, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry said that the topic at hand is critical for Pakistan. This is the second event in the series of public conversations the Institute is holding on the economy of Pakistan. Everyone at the roundtable understands the critical role that the economy plays in improving the quality of life of the country’s citizens.  In this context, role of planning is critical in forming sound and robust development plans. In Pakistan, the 5-year development plans were looked up to, and they helped the country achieve high growth rates in the 50s and 60s. Many countries, especially in East Asia, benefitted from that approach. But in the last 3 decades, the dominant trend has been to move away from the state-led long-term economic plans, the reason being that the world went for economic liberalization, marketization and deregulation.

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