City Desk
Islamabad: The three-day YES Pakistan: Young CEOs, Entrepreneurs & Innovators Summit, Expo & Awards 2026 concluded at Bahria University Islamabad, bringing together policymakers, university leaders, industry representatives, financial institutions, entrepreneurs and students.
Federal Minister for Investment and BOI Chairman Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh was chief guest at the closing ceremony. He stressed empowering young people to start their own businesses, praised the platform linking academia, industry and government, and said such events should be held more often.
Prof. Dr. Javaid Laghari, former HEC Chairman, delivered the keynote, “The CEO Mindset: Think, Lead & Win Like a Founder.” Founder Murtaza Noor summarised the event’s goals, including strengthening university-industry collaboration, connecting startups with investors and supporting business incubation.
The final day featured two panels. One was an intergenerational dialogue on entrepreneurial challenges, mentorship and collaboration. The other, on bridging academia, finance and industry, included former AJK President Sardar Masood Khan and officials from the State Bank, HEC and the Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan. It focused on access to finance, research commercialisation and intellectual property protection.
The innovation expo featured more than 30 stalls, with universities from across Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan, taking part. The programme also included workshops, pitching activities, leadership dialogues and the YES Pakistan Awards. The ceremony ended with prize distribution and closing remarks.
