Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal told delegates at the Finance Leaders Conference 2025 in Islamabad, organised by The Institute of Financial Accountants, that Pakistan’s economic revival is moving beyond survival to renewal, driven by stability, merit, innovation and human capital as the cornerstones of finance transformation.
Addressing the assembly, the Minister warned that ‘Finance without foresight leads to folly. Intelligence without ethics leads to chaos.’ He said this ethos must guide policy as Pakistan seeks to combine the ethics of finance, the discipline of planning and the passion of youth to reshape the nation’s economic trajectory.
Mr. Iqbal highlighted tangible signs of recovery with inflation falling from 38% to a nine-year low of 4.5%, remittances rising 27% to $38 billion, and the Pakistan Stock Exchange ranking among the world’s top-performing markets. He stressed that the next phase of finance transformation must prioritise export-led growth and the shift from consumption to production across IT, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, minerals and creative industries.
The address announced the launch of a National AI Policy and an AI Task Force to integrate artificial intelligence across governance, industry and finance, part of a broader URAAN Pakistan initiative. Under a five-point 5Es framework—Exports, E-Pakistan (Tech Economy), Environment, Energy and Equity—the government aims to harness technology and sustainability to accelerate inclusive growth and modernization.
Prof. Iqbal presented an ‘Atomic Model of Success’ built on six principles—Vision, Stability, Merit, Human Capital, Resources and Autonomy—as the strategic foundation for achieving a $1 trillion dynamic, inclusive and digital economy. He urged stakeholders to move from firefighting to future-building and to convert policies on paper into measurable progress on the ground as Pakistan pursues finance transformation for the 2020s.
