Pakistan Can Join Leading Economies With Active Youth, Women Participation: Ahsan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Nov, 2024) Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Thursday expressed confidence that Pakistan could join the ranks of the world's leading economies by 2047 through the active participation of youth, especially women entrepreneurs.

“The country’s progress and prosperity are closely linked with the development of youth and women entrepreneurs. Their active role and participation in national development can make it possible for Pakistan to join the world’s top economies by 2047,” he said.

He made these remarks while addressing the fifth edition of the Women Entrepreneurship Conference titled “Mumkin Hai”(It is possible), organized by the National Incubation Centre at the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) here.

The conference featured panel discussions on aligning entrepreneurial goals with the digital economy in Pakistan.

Addressing the participants, the minister assured that the recommendations made by experts at the conference would be “put into implementation” because the incumbent government believed that the future of the nation was in the hands of youth and women.

“It is our job to make everything possible for them,” he added.

Ahsan Iqbal said the intellect and innovation of youth and women could help establish start-ups, introduce made-in-Pakistan products and effectively compete in international markets, contributing billions of Dollars in revenue to the national exchequer.

He said the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government hoped that, in 23 years, when both Pakistan and India celebrate their 100th year of independence, Pakistan’s youth would celebrate it with pride, without any excuses for lagging behind in development.

The minister highlighted the importance of continuity in policies, peace, stability and a continuous reform process to achieve the national goals of development and prosperity, citing examples of countries that made progress by ensuring at least a decade-long stability and consistency in their policies.

Ahsan Iqbal stressed that Pakistan could no longer afford chaos and anarchy, emphasizing the need for greater unity and a peaceful environment to attain national progress.