Pakistan entering era of national reforms, not systemic failure: Ahsan Iqbal

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Monday said Pakistan had not failed as a state but had entered an era of national reforms, urging the country’s youth to lead the transformation with confidence, innovation and hard work.

Addressing the launch ceremony of a national anthem marking Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day and the 150th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the minister said the country was standing at the threshold of a new phase driven by hope, national unity and economic revival.

Rejecting claims that Pakistan’s institutions had collapsed, Ahsan Iqbal said the country was modernising its governance system and national priorities to meet the demands of the 21st century.

“This is not the age of systemic failure; it is the age of national reform,” he said, adding that sustainable progress required continuity of reforms, national consensus and collective responsibility.

The minister stressed that the challenges facing a country of more than 250 million people could not be addressed by elected representatives alone. He called for the active participation of youth, the private sector, civil society, experts and state institutions in driving national development.

Highlighting the role of young Pakistanis, Ahsan Iqbal described them as the country’s greatest asset.

“Our youth are not cockroaches; they are Iqbal’s Shaheens,” he said, urging them to embrace ambition, self-confidence and excellence in shaping Pakistan’s future.

Referring to the country’s economic outlook, the minister said predictions made in 2022 about Pakistan defaulting had proved wrong, attributing the recovery to prudent economic policies, public support and collective national resolve. He said overseas Pakistanis were increasingly recognising the country’s improving economic trajectory.

The minister said the government’s URAAN Pakistan initiative was a comprehensive national transformation framework aimed at building a one-trillion-dollar economy through export-led growth, technological advancement, energy security, digital transformation, human capital development and sustainable development.

He added that significant investments were being made to equip young people with artificial intelligence, digital skills and future-oriented education, saying the youth were not only Pakistan’s future but also its present.

Ahsan Iqbal said the newly launched national anthem symbolised national awakening and reflected the vision of Allama Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by inspiring young people to pursue knowledge, character, self-reliance and nation-building.

He concluded by saying that Pakistan’s strength lay in the talent, resilience and determination of its youth and reaffirmed that URAAN Pakistan was a national mission rather than the agenda of any single political party, aimed at building a strong, prosperous and self-reliant Pakistan.