Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said economists must serve as architects of national policy building and play a leading role in steering Pakistan towards sustainable development in the rapidly evolving techno-economy era.
\nHe expressed these views while addressing a certificate awarding ceremony organized by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics to mark the completion of the six-week induction training programme for Research Officers (Economist Group) of the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, said a release issued here.
\nThe minister, who attended the event as chief guest, distributed certificates among the newly inducted officers at PIDE\u2019s Junior Combination Room in Islamabad.
\nIn his keynote address, Prof Ahsan Iqbal termed the Ministry of Planning the \u201cdevelopment brain\u201d of the government and urged the officers to consider themselves nation-builders rather than routine officials.
\nHe said Pakistan was once regarded as a champion of reforms, but frequent policy reversals and political instability enabled neighboring countries to move ahead economically.
\nThe minister stressed the need for professionals capable of implementing practical and effective policy solutions to strengthen the country\u2019s policy culture.
\nReferring to the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, he said humanity had entered a \u201ctechno-economy era\u201d where changes now occurred within months instead of decades.
\nHe warned that economists relying solely on industrial-era approaches would struggle to remain relevant and advised the officers to develop expertise in technology economics, digital economics, environmental economics and behavioral economics alongside conventional economic disciplines.
\nProf Ahsan Iqbal also urged the officers to maintain integrity in handling national data and avoid manipulation under political pressure, describing credible data as the \u201cfuel of future development.\u201d
\nHe observed that economic indicators reflected real human suffering, saying inflation meant families struggling to afford food, while economic slowdown translated into unemployment and hopelessness among youth.
\nVice Chancellor of PIDE Dr Nadeem Javaid said economists played a vital role in policymaking because every statistic carried a human story behind it.
\nHe emphasized that newly inducted officers should remain aware of institutional \u201cstatus quo forces\u201d that resist reform and innovation.
\nDr Javaid said competence without courage was insufficient and urged the officers to present independent analysis and challenge ineffective practices professionally, even before senior colleagues.
\nHe cautioned against bureaucratic inertia and encouraged the participants to remain intellectually vibrant, adding that nations succeed globally through strong institutions and quality ideas.
\nChief Economist at the Ministry of Planning, Dr Imtiaz Ahmed, advised the officers to maintain sincerity and professionalism throughout their careers.
\nHe said individuals were ultimately recognized by the quality of their work and urged the participants to leave every institution better than they found it.
\nDirector Executive Development Center PIDE, Dr Nadeem Khan, highlighted the scale of the programme, stating that it comprised 150 sessions conducted over six weeks under four major pillars including knowledge, skills, behavior and institutional exposure.
\nHe said the curriculum included policy simulations, psychometric assessments and practitioner-led sessions involving economists, civil servants and behavioral experts.
\nThe participants also visited the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Planning and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, while each officer prepared a supervised policy review paper with mentor feedback, he added.
\nPIDE is an autonomous research institution working under the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives and focuses on economic research, evidence-based policy making and public-sector capacity building in Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Prof Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday said economists must serve as architects of national policy building and play a leading role in steering Pakistan towards sustainable development in the rapidly evolving techno-economy era. He expressed these views while addressing a certificate awarding ceremony organized by the Pakistan Institute […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476986,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-546259","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n