ISLAMABAD
\n38th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE) concluded today in Islamabad, wrapping up three days of dynamic discussions, presentations, and policy dialogues.
\nHosted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), Research for Social Transformation and Advancement (RASTA), CPEC Centre of Excellence, and the Bank of Punjab, the conference brought together a diverse range of scholars, policymakers, economists, and development professionals from across Pakistan and the international community.
\nThe final day featured a high-level keynote panel on \u201cSmart Provinces for a Smarter Pakistan,\u201d where the Guest of Honour, Hon. Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasized the pivotal role of provincial governments in shaping Pakistan\u2019s digital future.
\nDrawing from his involvement in the 18th Constitutional Amendment and the 2009 NFC Award, Senator Dar highlighted the need for provinces to demonstrate tangible results now that they hold greater autonomy and fiscal resources. He stressed the importance of digitization at the grassroots level, advocating for smart schools, e-governance, and real-time data systems as essential tools for national development.
\nHe called for innovation to be led by provinces, citing examples such as digital agriculture in KP, education reforms in Gilgit-Baltistan, and climate resilience in Sindh. Senator Dar reiterated the urgency of revising the NFC Award and phasing out overlapping federal bodies that contradict the spirit of devolution. He ended his address with a compelling call for collaborative action, stating, \u201cWhen Pakistan takes flight, every province must lift.\u201d
\nAlso addressing the audience was Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, who congratulated PIDE for successfully hosting the conference. He stressed the importance of transforming research into action and urged that the conference\u2019s recommendations be synthesized into concrete, implementable policies.
\nProf. Iqbal encouraged provincial governments to assume active roles in the country\u2019s socio-economic development and emphasized the need to close the gap between \u201cknowing and doing.\u201d Earlier in the day, the prestigious Mahbub Ul Haq Memorial Lecture was delivered by Mohammad J. Sear, EY MENA\u2019s Digital Government & Public Sector Leader.
\nHis lecture, titled \u201cRethinking Sovereignty in the Digital Age,\u201d challenged traditional definitions of state power in an increasingly digitized world. He argued that in the modern era, sovereignty includes control over data, digital infrastructure, and cyber platforms\u2014areas where global tech giants often wield more power than states. Sear advocated for Pakistan to invest in sovereign digital ecosystems and AI development to safeguard its autonomy and economic future.
\nChairing the session, Mr. Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan, Coordinator to the Prime Minister, echoed these sentiments and described data as \u201cthe new oil.\u201d He updated the audience on legislative efforts to enable a cashless economy and promote national data governance. A major highlight of the day was a panel discussion on \u201cCPEC 2.0: Digital Leap \u2013 Learning China\u2019s Transformation,\u201d moderated by Dr. M. Muzammil Zia.
\nExperts including Prof. Yuan Li of Shandong University and Dr. Mahmood Khalid of PIDE emphasized the shift from infrastructure-led growth under CPEC 1.0 to innovation and knowledge exchange under CPEC 2.0. Prof. Li outlined China\u2019s successful model of using policy-driven innovation to transform its economy and encouraged similar steps in Pakistan.
\nDr. Manzoor Ahmad advocated for digitalizing Pakistan\u2019s economy to empower SMEs and boost competitiveness. Mr. Ahmed Masud from Huawei highlighted the success of Huawei\u2019s Islamabad-based global resource center and advocated for deeper Pakistan-China digital collaboration. Other panelists, including Dr. Hassan Waqar of NUST, stressed the need for policy consistency and strong educational governance to achieve digital transformation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD 38th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE) concluded today in Islamabad, wrapping up three days of dynamic discussions, presentations, and policy dialogues. Hosted by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (MoPD&SI), the Asian […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":473172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-473159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n