Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Professor Ahsan Iqbal has said young people must play a central role in Pakistan’s development, adding that the country’s youth have the potential to help transform it into a $3 trillion economy by 2047.
Addressing a ceremony at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad to mark the completion of 1,700 teams under the Bano Shaheen Program, Iqbal said the initiative would help young people move beyond identifying problems and develop practical solutions.
He said the establishment of 50 Bano Shaheen chapters at the university marked an important milestone for the national program.
The Ministry of Planning has established Bano Shaheen chapters in more than 165 universities across the country to involve young people in development planning and incorporate their ideas and priorities into national policymaking.
Iqbal said the program aimed to develop confident, capable and action-oriented young people inspired by Allama Iqbal’s Shaheen.
He urged them to focus on solving Pakistan’s problems rather than expressing despair, saying successful nations identify opportunities alongside challenges and use their capabilities to drive development.
Referring to the Pakistan Movement, the minister said the generation of 1947 had turned the seemingly impossible dream of an independent state into reality despite limited resources.
He said today’s youth had a sovereign and nuclear-armed country, educational institutions, resources and opportunities, and should carry that legacy forward.
Iqbal said Pakistan should reach a new milestone in 2047, when it completes 100 years of independence. He described the goal of becoming a $3 trillion economy as an important national objective that would require young people to play a central role in development.
He said Pakistan needed to assess why it had failed to sustain its pace of development, pointing to Vietnam’s export growth as an example of how other countries had moved ahead.
Talent and resources alone were not enough, he said, adding that their potential depended on a conducive environment, sound policies, continuity and effective implementation.
Under the Bano Shaheen Program, young people will assess socioeconomic indicators in their areas, identify challenges and propose practical solutions. Iqbal said the program would allow them to move beyond analysis and demonstrate their capabilities through action.
The minister also called education and human development national priorities, saying Pakistan needed to bring 25 million out-of-school children into the education system. He said child malnutrition should be treated as a national emergency to ensure every child had the opportunity to reach their potential.
Iqbal said a scholarship program offering 5,000 scholarships had been launched for young people from the poorest districts, including Balochistan and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
He also referred to laptop distribution initiatives aimed at helping young people access modern education and technology and bringing marginalized regions into national development.
Ahsan Iqbal warned that fake news and misleading narratives posed risks in an era of artificial intelligence, big data and social media.
Young people, he said, should promote information verification, responsible communication and critical thinking to counter polarization and misinformation.
Minister urged young people to choose hope over despair, solutions over complaints and national service over personal interests. He said they should contribute to Pakistan’s development, prosperity and economic stability with the same commitment and collective spirit through which the country was established.
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