LAHORE: Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives and InterProvincial Coordination Ahsan Iqbal fears escalation of differences among provinces if the politics on water and other core issues continues.

`I will request engineers and the institutions like Institute of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) to come forward to resolve the water issue.

If no decision was taken by engineers, and instead the politics continues [on water issue], the lands would remain barren anddifferences among the provinces may surge,` the minister warned while addressing the launching ceremony of a paid internship programme for young engineers here at the Expo Centre on Saturday night.

He termed `Urran Pakistan Programme` lifeline for the country and said the initiative aims at achieving US$1 trillion export target by 2035. But to achieve this, the country needs peace, economic and political stability and economic policies based on 10-year planning, he adds.

The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who saved the country from default, isnow steering it to economic stability. `So, I would request the politicians to, for god sake, realise the situation well, sit and take decisions jointly in the best interest of Pakistan,` he added.

Earlier, the minister opened the paid internship programme for engineers under the aegis of the IEP and the Planning Commission of Pakistan.

On this occasion, the IEP secretary general said under the programme, the engineers would receive Rs50,000 stipend per month.

The minister also gave gold medal to the IEP`s Ameer Zameer Khan and Javed Saleem Qureshi.