World Bank Country Director Najy Benhassine dismissed reports suggesting that the international financial institution had criticised Pakistan’s Uraan Plan, terming the claims a “false interpretation.”
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Benhassine addressed confusion caused by articles published earlier that day. He clarified that the reports misinterpreted a specific sentence in the newly released World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Pakistan.
He emphasized that the referenced sentence in the document did not constitute an assessment of the Uraan Plan or any of its components. “We are engaging with the government of Pakistan to ensure the implementation of the new partnership framework is fully aligned with Pakistan’s home-grown national plans at all levels of government,” Benhassine stated.
Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal also addressed the issue, rejecting any criticism from the World Bank. He reiterated that the Uraan Plan and the 5E Framework had been integrated and supported by sectoral targets.
The World Bank’s CPF report, released on Wednesday, stated: “A national vision, the 5E Framework to Turnaround Pakistan, has been developed but is yet to be translated into clear sectoral plans shared by all tiers of government, including provincial governments.”
Iqbal maintained that the government is actively working to align the Uraan Plan with the CPF to address development priorities comprehensively.
