Ahsan Iqbal Says Youth Will Drive Pakistan’s Growth Phase
Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said Pakistan is moving from crisis management toward a new phase of national growth, placing young people at the centre of the country’s future development agenda. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the URAAN Pakistan “Mitti Ki Pukar” Overseas Pakistanis Summer Scholars Programme 2026, he described youth as the decisive force that can shape Pakistan’s next economic and diplomatic chapter.
The minister said Pakistan’s recent journey had shown that the country could recover from severe pressure when policy direction, institutional effort and public resolve were aligned. He argued that the challenge now was to convert stabilisation into sustainable progress, stronger exports, modern technology adoption and wider opportunities for skilled citizens.
According to the details shared at the event, the overseas scholars programme received nearly 2,000 applications from 54 countries. After a merit-based selection process, 45 overseas Pakistani students were chosen from around 150 leading universities, while three international scholars also joined the programme this year.
Ahsan Iqbal said the initiative would expose young participants to public sector work, policy design and national development planning. He added that the scholars would work with the Ministry of Planning during the coming weeks and contribute their ideas to the implementation of the URAAN Pakistan 5Es framework, which focuses on exports, digital Pakistan, energy, environment and equity.
The minister linked the programme to a broader effort to reconnect talented overseas Pakistanis with national priorities. He said students with global academic experience could bring fresh thinking to governance, innovation and development, especially at a time when Pakistan needed competitive ideas to improve productivity and international relevance.
Ahsan also referred to Pakistan’s earlier development gains, saying the country had previously managed to overcome major energy shortages, reduce terrorism and attract about $25 billion in investment during the first phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He said that momentum was disrupted, but the country still had the capacity to rebuild a long-term growth path.
Discussing the recent economic situation, he said Pakistan faced default risks when the government returned to power in 2022 and had to take difficult decisions to protect the state. He maintained that those reforms helped restore macroeconomic stability, including a reduction in inflation and the policy rate, creating room for renewed economic ambition.
The statement comes as the government promotes URAAN Pakistan as a national development roadmap focused on exports, digital transformation, energy security, climate resilience and inclusive growth. The programme is being presented as a platform through which young professionals, students and policymakers can collaborate on practical solutions rather than remain limited to conventional planning.
For Pakistan, the emphasis on youth participation carries major economic and social importance. With a large young population, the country’s ability to create jobs, improve skills and connect students with public policy could determine whether demographic pressure becomes a burden or a productive national advantage.
The next stage will depend on how effectively the government converts such programmes into measurable outcomes. If the selected scholars are meaningfully involved in policy work and their ideas are carried into implementation, the initiative could strengthen Pakistan’s talent pipeline and help align overseas expertise with domestic development goals.