LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal has said Pakistan’s future will not be shaped by promoting stories and lies on TikTok, Facebook or other social media platforms, but rather through hard work and progress.

Speaking at an education conference here on Monday, Mr Iqbal said Pakistan’s population has been growing at an accelerated pace, making it the fifth most populous country in the world.

“This has led to increasing resource and water shortages. Unless the nation builds the capacity to work together with a shared vision, no force can lead us to progress. If we compare ourselves with other nations, we have failed. South Korea, China, Bangladesh, and India were once behind us, but one by one, they have all surpassed us. Pakistan’s future cannot be built on promoting lies and stories on social media but will be built with hard work and dedication. If we fail to do so, history will judge us harshly.”

He said during a rally, a leader (Imran) accused him of being a thief and a robber. “I then said if I looted this country, may God destroy me. But if false allegations have been made against me, may the accuser become an example of disgrace, and see, he has become an example of disgrace,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2024