LAHORE - Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Ahsan Iqbal said on Saturday the government wants to implement the recommendations of the all-party conference on peace negotiations with the Taliban, but if talks failed, then the decisive action would be taken in consultation with all the political parties.
Talking to newsmen here, the federal minister feared terrorist attacks might increase in 2014 when US troops pulled out of Afghanistan.
"Pakistan is facing both internal and external threats. We are ready to initiate dialogue with the Taliban according to APC recommendations. Extremism is the problem facing the whole world and all the countries should be united against this menace." Iqbal said.
Earlier in his address to a prize-distribution ceremony of a competition, Brain of Lahore, organised by a local school, the minister said the government had invited the four education ministers to Islamabad to evolve an education policy with consensus. He said although, after the passage of 18th amendment, education became a provincial subject, the purpose behind the meeting of education ministers was to evolve a joint policy that could be implemented in all the provinces.
Iqbal said the 21st century was the century of ‘knowledge revolution’ where the mind power overpowered the muscular power. He said in this century wars were fought in laboratories and class rooms.
Speaking on the occasion, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Vice-Chancellor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said agriculture and livestock was an emerging field and there were lots of job opportunities for young people in this sector.
Pasha said the Punjab government was focusing on this sector, and expressed the hope the government would allocate funds in the next Annual Development Plan for establishment of a veterinary university in Bahawalpur.