The federal government today inaugurated Pakistan’s first Peace and Development Unit (PDU), a strategic body designed to embed conflict-sensitive and inclusive principles directly into the nation’s development planning framework.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Planning under the direction of Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, establishes a national platform to ensure that economic and social progress is built upon a foundation of lasting peace.

In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the ministry articulated the core philosophy behind the new unit: ‘Peace is the highway on which our development must run. Without it, even the best initiatives cannot achieve their full potential.’

The PDU is tasked with a multi-faceted mandate, ranging from conducting research to implementing scalable peacebuilding programs. Its primary objectives are to bolster social cohesion throughout the country and to provide data that guides the formulation of evidence-based policies.

Ultimately, the unit aims to guarantee that every development investment made by the government actively contributes to long-term national stability and harmony.