Islamabad: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal, has called upon the Pakistani diaspora to unite under a national identity to advance Pakistan’s economic transformation. Speaking at a breakfast reception during his visit to Northern California, Iqbal urged overseas Pakistanis to prioritize “Pakistan First” and emphasized the importance of economic self-reliance driven by exports, technology, and human capital development.
According to Press Information Department, Iqbal outlined the Government’s URAAN Pakistan initiative aimed at transforming the nation into a knowledge-based economy with a targeted growth to a one trillion-dollar economy by 2035 and boosting exports to over $100 billion. He highlighted the pivotal role of Pakistani-Americans in expanding trade and investment, noting the United States as Pakistan’s largest export market.
The Minister underscored the potential of Artificial Intelligence and the establishment of National Centres of Excellence as priorities. He discussed the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor initiative designed to develop human capital through global university partnerships. Proposals from the community included reorienting consulates for export promotion and forming advisory groups with Silicon Valley experts to enhance Pakistan’s innovation ecosystem.
In discussions with Saeed Amidi of Plug and Play Tech Center, a leading Silicon Valley startup platform, Iqbal explored collaborations to accelerate Pakistani startups and connect them with global networks. Plug and Play proposed partnering to support up to 300 startups from Pakistani universities and establishing offices in Pakistan. The Minister welcomed these proposals, emphasizing Pakistan’s competitive advantage in young talent and engineering workforce.
Iqbal’s engagements also included interactions on AI, innovation, and entrepreneurship with Silicon Valley professionals, as well as meetings with the Pakistani-American community. The community affirmed their commitment to supporting Pakistan’s economic transformation, endorsing the Minister’s “Pakistan First” message and pledging contributions to the URAAN Pakistan initiative.