City Desk
Islamabad, October 14, 2026 – Planning Minister and PIDE Chancellor Prof. Ahsan Iqbal called for a globally competitive, export-driven economy to end Pakistan’s recurring balance-of-payments crises. He was inaugurating the 39th International Conference of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE) at PIDE, held under the theme “Mission $100 Billion.”
Iqbal said economic sovereignty depends on a nation’s ability to pay its way in the world. Under URAAN Pakistan, he stressed competitive clusters, complete value chains and integration into global supply networks. He asked researchers to produce actionable export roadmaps and stressed policy continuity across political transitions.
In his presidential address, PIDE Vice Chancellor Dr. Nadeem Javaid said weak exports reflect incentives that make serving protected domestic markets more attractive than competing abroad. This creates an “export trap,” in which a narrow export base worsens foreign-exchange shortages and limits investment. He said the $100 billion target is only a scoreboard and the real task is building firms’ capabilities. He outlined five pathways: upgrading textiles, agriculture and IT; attracting export-oriented investment; nurturing new exporters; developing new growth engines; and turning diplomatic ties into commercial connectivity.
Guest of Honour Yuan Jianmin of the Xinjiang Government proposed CPEC 2.0 cooperation, including a green channel at Khunjerab for fresh produce, wider RMB use in cross-border payments, and collaboration in AI and IT.
Dr. Faheem Jehangir reported that 24 papers were selected from 204 abstracts, 31 PhD scholars are presenting posters, and 541 new members have joined PSDE.
