Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof. Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan’s engineers are the backbone of national progress and must play a decisive role in transforming the country into a modern, export-oriented economy.
He vowed that Pakistan would become a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2035, with youth and engineers serving as the frontline soldiers of development.
He was addressing a reception for gratitude hosted by the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) here on Saturday in his honour, following the conferment of the prestigious Pakistan Civil Award “Nishan-i-Imtiaz”. The event brought together a large number of engineering professionals, academics, and industry leaders.
Planning Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal said he felt humbled by the recognition and thanked Allah Almighty for the honour.
“Receiving Nishan-e-Imtiaz as both an engineer and Minister for Planning is a privilege and a responsibility. This award is not for me alone but for every Pakistani engineer and professional who has contributed to nation building,” he said.
The minister said Pakistan had won the “Marka-e-Haq” (Battle for Truth) through the sacrifices and resilience of its armed forces, exposing the false image of India as a regional superpower. “Our armed forces have shown unmatched strength, but true and lasting national power depends on building economic strength, advancing technology, and fostering innovation,” He said.
He underlined that Pakistan had now entered the “Marka-e-Taraqqi” (Battle for Development), and its roadmap lay in the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ initiative, which seeks to transform Pakistan into a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2035. “If we fail to build economic strength, our defence gains cannot be sustained.
History shows us the collapse of the Soviet Union, where a mighty military could not survive a weak economy,” he noted.
Declaring engineers as “frontline soldiers of the development battle”, Ahsan Iqbal said they were pivotal in shaping exports, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cyber security, climate resilience, energy, infrastructure, and water and food security. “Just as our armed forces secured victory in defence, engineers must now ensure victory in socio-economic development,” he emphasized.
He urged the engineering community to form a task force to support the ‘Uraan Pakistan’ roadmap with practical ideas.
“Every rupee saved can help build a school, a hospital, a dam, or even launch a new satellite. Waste is not an option if we want to see Pakistan prosper,” he
remarked.—APP
