Federal minister urges new bureaucrats to prepare for USD1trn economy by 2035

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal has said that political governments may come and go, but the civil service remains the permanent pillar of the state, placing a critical responsibility on the new generation of civil servants to lead Pakistan towards becoming a USD 1 trillion economy by 2035.

He was addressing the concluding ceremony of the 40th Senior Management Course at the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA), Islamabad, as the chief guest on Friday. A total of 46 officers from various service groups successfully completed the 16-week training programme.

The minister said that in an era of rapidly changing global dynamics and artificial intelligence, it was imperative for institutions and nations to continuously adapt to emerging realities. Citing the examples of Nokia and BlackBerry, he observed that organisations failing to transform with changing times eventually become irrelevant. Pakistan must not merely be affected by global transformations but should turn these changes into opportunities for national progress.

He emphasised that sustainable national development requires peace and security, political stability, continuity of policies for at least ten years, and an unwavering commitment to structural reforms.

He said Pakistan had been on a strong development trajectory in 2017 under Vision 2025, achieving significant economic progress. However, political developments in 2018 derailed this trajectory and pushed the country towards the brink of economic default by 2022.

He said Pakistan was now moving out of economic crisis towards stability, with the URAAN Pakistan framework setting an ambitious target of transforming the economy into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2035. He cautioned that maintaining the status quo would only take Pakistan to approximately USD 600 billion, underscoring the need to accelerate the pace of reforms and development.

The minister said civil servants must move beyond their traditional administrative roles and become agents of institutional and societal transformation. He highlighted the five pillars of URAAN Pakistan — Exports, Energy, Environment, Equity and E-Pakistan — as the foundation for sustainable national development.

He stressed that Pakistan’s economic sovereignty depended on increasing exports beyond USD 100 billion by 2035. He also underlined the need to address weaknesses in the social sector, noting that the quality of human resources was among the most important determinants of a nation’s future.

Addressing the officers, the minister urged them to embrace a governance model rooted in public service, integrity and a strong sense of mission rather than conventional bureaucratic practices. He called upon them to draw inspiration from the governance principles of Khulafa-e-Rashideen, emphasising honesty, accountability and service to the people.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the federal minister distributed certificates among the 46 officers who successfully completed the course and extended his best wishes for their professional careers and future contributions to national development.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026