Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal chaired the inaugural meeting of the Human Capital and Skills Mission, part of the URAAN Pakistan initiative. The mission is one of the 11 National Economic Missions and emphasizes the prioritization of investment in human resources as a cornerstone for Pakistan’s economic development.

According to Press Information Department, the meeting addressed Pakistan’s comparative standing in health, education, and skills, and outlined the URAAN mission’s targets, which include reducing maternal mortality and improving literacy rates. Iqbal highlighted the need for treating social-sector challenges as a national emergency and called for devolving authority to districts to facilitate service delivery at the local level. He stressed that the continuity of policies and political stability are vital for achieving long-term social and economic goals.

The meeting also underscored the importance of a coordinated federal-provincial delivery mechanism to meet the mission’s targets. Working groups focusing on education, health, population, and skills will meet bi-weekly to address bottlenecks and align development spending with mission priorities. The initiative aims to transform Pakistan’s economic agenda into actionable and measurable outcomes.