Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives (MoPDSI) Ahsan Iqbal has stressed that Pakistan must commit to a decade of consistent policies and place education at the heart of its national agenda to achieve sustainable development and stand among developed nations.
Addressing the Global Education Conference and International School Awards on Sunday, the minister said that peace, stability, and educational reform form the bedrock of lasting prosperity. The event brought together leading educationists and heads of prominent institutions from across the country.
Unveiling the government’s “Uraan-e-Pakistan” vision, spearheaded by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iqbal said the initiative aims to drive comprehensive national reform and foster progress across all sectors.
Ahead of World Teachers’ Day, the minister paid tribute to teachers, calling them the “architects of national progress.” He remarked, “Parents bring a child into the world, but a teacher teaches how to live in it,” acknowledging the profound influence of his own mentors.
Highlighting education as the most powerful tool for eradicating poverty, generating employment, and ensuring social cohesion, Iqbal warned that Pakistan’s history of policy discontinuity has already caused three major economic setbacks. “We cannot afford another,” he cautioned, urging a collective shift toward evidence-based, long-term planning and institutional stability.
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He emphasized that quality education and committed teachers are the true engines of national development and called for greater international cooperation through teacher exchanges, student partnerships, and joint research initiatives to raise academic standards and strengthen global understanding.