Pakistan must transform human resources into economic strength: Ahsan Iqbal

LAHORE, Sep 03 (APP):Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday that Pakistan’s path to development lies through education, research, innovation and technology, stressing the need to empower the country’s youth and transform its human resources into economic strength.

Addressing a conference on “The Makkah Pact & the New Geometry of Power” at the University of Lahore, where he was the chief guest, the minister said Pakistan must move towards a knowledge-based and production-oriented economy by strengthening linkages between universities and industry.

The conference was attended by political and former military officials, bureaucrats, journalists and members of the business community.

Ahsan Iqbal said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement should not be viewed merely as a military arrangement but as a broader framework encompassing universities, laboratories, technology, investment, connectivity and economic cooperation.

He said the changing global landscape had enhanced the significance of the agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye in Makkah on August 7, 2026.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the agreement, he added.

The minister said its basic principle was that an attack on one member would be considered an attack on all, adding that the pact should not be seen as a challenge to the global system but as a step towards a more stable regional and international order.

He said Saudi Arabia had vast economic resources, energy strength, financial capacity and growing ambitions in technology, while Turkiye possessed a strong industrial base, an advanced defence industry and an important geographical position linking Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Pakistan, he said, had a large young population, significant defence capabilities and strategic geographical importance, connecting South Asia, Central Asia, China, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf.

“The real importance of the Makkah Pact does not lie only in combining the military capabilities of three countries,” he said, adding that it could provide a foundation for cooperation in joint defence production, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space technology, energy, food security and critical minerals.

Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia should strengthen partnerships in research, investment and regional connectivity, adding that combining Pakistani human capital, Turkish technology and Saudi investment could bring about significant transformation.

He stressed that geopolitics must be linked with geo-economics and said Pakistan’s objective should be strategic autonomy, not strategic isolation.

“Pakistan’s strategic thinking is based on friendship with all and dependence on none,” he said, adding that Islamabad wanted peaceful and mutually beneficial relations with all neighbouring countries, as well as stronger partnerships with China, the United States, Europe and the Muslim world.

The minister said military strength alone could not make a country powerful, as a weak economy, imported technology, ineffective institutions and poor education could also undermine national security.

He said the foundations of national strength included economic productivity, technology, human capital and social cohesion.

Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan’s next major national struggle would be fought through exports, education and technology rather than fighter aircraft, describing it as a “battle for development”.

He said Pakistan needed to transform its population into economic strength by producing scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, skilled workers and exporters.

He said the government had set a target under Uraan Pakistan of building a $1 trillion economy by 2035 and a $3 trillion economy by 2047. The targets are consistent with the government’s stated Uraan Pakistan framework.

The minister said these targets represented the scale of transformation required for Pakistan to enter the second century of its independence as a prosperous, confident and influential country.

He said the country’s youth were its biggest asset and called for providing them with world-class education and opportunities while connecting them with modern sciences and technology.

“The future global competition for our youth will be in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing and robotics,” he said, adding that renewable energy, advanced materials and space technology would also be key areas of competition.

He stressed that universities should become laboratories of national transformation and researchers should address difficult national challenges.

Ahsan Iqbal also called for greater social cohesion, saying misinformation and political divisions had made harmony an important component of national security. He urged the media to play its role in promoting constructive dialogue.

He said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement would also entail new responsibilities for its members, adding that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkiye would have to demonstrate that growing strategic capabilities led to greater responsibility rather than confrontation.

He said the combined strength of the three countries should be used to support diplomacy, peaceful resolution of conflicts and stability in the Middle East and beyond, while strengthening the voice for justice for the Palestinian people.