Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called on civil servants to play a leading role in Pakistan’s economic transformation, saying the country must work towards becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2035.
He made the remarks on Friday while addressing the graduation ceremony of the 40th Senior Management Course at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) in Islamabad. A total of 46 government officers from different service groups completed the 16-week programme.
Iqbal said political governments could change, but the civil service remained a permanent institution of the state. He said the incoming generation of officers had an important responsibility to prepare Pakistan for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Speaking about technological changes, the minister said artificial intelligence and shifting global conditions required countries to continuously update their policies and institutions. He referred to Nokia and BlackBerry as examples of companies that lost their positions after failing to adapt to changing markets.
He said Pakistan should use global developments to accelerate its own economic and institutional progress rather than remain a passive participant in these changes.
The minister identified political stability, peace, security, consistent policies over at least 10 years and structural reforms as essential conditions for sustainable economic growth.
Referring to Pakistan’s economic performance, Iqbal said the country had made considerable progress under Vision 2025 in 2017. However, political changes in 2018 disrupted the development process, followed by serious economic difficulties that brought the country close to default in 2022.
He said Pakistan was now moving towards economic stability, while the government’s URAAN Pakistan programme aimed to expand the economy to $1 trillion by 2035.
However, he warned that without faster reforms and changes in existing practices, the economy could reach only around $600 billion by that time.
Iqbal also highlighted the five key areas of URAAN Pakistan: exports, energy, environment, equity and E-Pakistan.
He said Pakistan needed to increase its exports to more than $100 billion by 2035 to strengthen its economic independence. He also stressed improvements in education, healthcare and other social sectors, saying investment in human resources was essential for the country’s long-term development.
Addressing the officers, the minister urged them to take a more active role in improving government institutions instead of limiting themselves to routine administrative work.
He emphasised public service, honesty and accountability, and encouraged the officers to follow the governance principles of the Khulafa-e-Rashideen.
The ceremony concluded with the distribution of certificates among the 46 officers who successfully completed the training programme.
