Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday urged prominent Pakistani-American business leaders to invest in Pakistan, saying the country had regained macroeconomic stability and was ready to translate recent economic gains into sustained growth.
Addressing a gathering of 20 leading Pakistani-American entrepreneurs, technologists and financiers-more than one-third of whom are former Fortune 500 executives-the minister invited them to bring their capital, business networks and expertise to Pakistan to support the country’s next phase of economic development.
Iqbal said Pakistan was at a defining moment in its history, where recent progress in national security, diplomacy and macroeconomic stability needed to be converted into long-term economic expansion.
He said overseas Pakistanis remained closely connected to their homeland, while the Pakistani-American community had distinguished itself in technology, finance, healthcare, energy and academia. Referring to reforms undertaken under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government, he said the country had restored macroeconomic stability, reduced inflation, lowered policy interest rates and earned international recognition as one of the world’s leading economic turnaround stories. He added that Pakistan now needed the diaspora’s investment, expertise and global business networks to accelerate growth.
The minister said Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional peace had strengthened investor confidence and created fresh opportunities for trade and international partnerships. He added that the current environment offered an opportune time for overseas Pakistanis to include Pakistan in their professional and investment portfolios.
Most participants were already involved in investment and philanthropic initiatives in Pakistan, and the meeting was aimed at transforming that engagement into a structured partnership aligned with the government’s URAAN-Pakistan economic agenda.
During the session, Iqbal outlined the government’s goal of expanding Pakistan’s economy to $1 trillion by 2035 and $3 trillion by 2047, based on the 5Es framework: Exports, E-Pakistan, Environment and Climate Change, Energy and Infrastructure, and Equity and Empowerment. He identified information technology, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, mining and minerals, the blue economy, skilled manpower and creative industries as priority sectors for export-led growth.
The minister assured the diaspora that the government remained committed to creating an enabling environment for investment and entrepreneurship. He expressed confidence that the active participation of overseas Pakistanis would help Pakistan achieve its economic objectives and emerge as a globally competitive, knowledge-based economy.
Iqbal also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s knowledge economy through deeper collaboration with the Pakistani-American academic and research community. He highlighted partnerships with the University of Illinois Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago and the broader US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor, while noting ongoing efforts to engage overseas Pakistani experts in advancing the country’s artificial intelligence capabilities and technological transformation.