This was stated by Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Professor Ahsan Iqbal while addressing as the chief guest at Consultative Meeting on Vision 2025 and 11th Five year Plan 2013-18 here in AJK.

He said that government is committed to invest vigorously in human resource and infrastructure development projects through exploiting true potential of private sector in this regard.

The minister said that Azad Jammu and Kashmir is blessed with rich endowments of natural resources, which would be fully exploited for the economic prosperity of the country and the region in particular.

This end can only be achieved through visionary planning in all sectors of the economy, by relying heavily on indeginous resource mobilization, he added.

Ahsan Iqbal said that hectic consultation is being carried out in all provinces including AJK and GB to make the long term planning documents of Vision 2025, and medium term development framework of 11th Five year plan 2-13-18, in order to command its collective ownership by all parties and governments regardless of their political affiliation.

The minister appreciated the valour and commitment shown by the people of AJK in all odds, especially 2005 earthquake which virtually rendered the country infrastructure-less and offered monstrous challenges of recovery and rehabilitation.

He also commended the great role played by 1.5 million Kashmiri diaspora in the economic development of the country through the display of entrepreneurship skills abroad.

He expressed great hope in tapping this huge human resource potential of Kashmiri people through investment in different development projects in the country.

The minister also praised the AJK authorities at organizing such a valuable consultative meeting for defining the future development course of the country.

(APP)