Against the backdrop of a feeble financial performance of global emerging markets, Pakistan’s economic challenges call for dynamic structural reforms, feasible macroeconomic policies and functional trade linkages. Finding practical solutions to these challenges is an urgent national inquiry that demands visionary and comprehensive answers. Dr Arif Alvi, President Islamic Republic of Pakistan, made these remarks at the National Seminar on “Economic Insight – The Way Forward,” held under the auspices of NUST Institute of Policy Studies (NIPS) at the main campus of National University of Sciences & Technology (NUST) on Tuesday.
In his address, the President underscored the critical importance of health, education and socio-economic equality for durable national development. He maintained Pakistan needs to identify opportunities and design a powerful roadmap for enhancing its economic stature at a swift pace and stabilize its economy through revitalization of agricultural, industrial, and services sectors.
The main theme was centered on appraising various dimensions of Pakistan’s macroeconomic sector and prospects for the country’s trade in the region, especially with India; measuring strengths and weaknesses of economic policies; and generating some fresh thoughts and workable ideas through an inclusive discourse by the experts and other notable participants.
Expert presentations on “Pakistan’s Macroeconomic Challenges – The Way Forward” and “Pakistan’s Trade Relations with India” were delivered by DG NIPS & Member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, Dr Ashfaque Hasan Khan, and Advisor to the Chief Minister of Punjab on Economic Affairs and Planning, Dr Salman Shah, respectively. It was followed by an interactive and in-depth analysis of macroeconomic challenges and trade relations with India in two roundtables that comprised distinguished experts and professionals.
Earlier, Lt Gen Naweed Zaman, HI(M), (Retd), Rector NUST, welcomed the esteemed guests to the seminar, which, he said, held immense significance for showcasing particular perspectives and capturing various trends and transformations in the economic sector of Pakistan. He added that the seminar was organized with a view to systematically examining the real-world way forward for the betterment of Pakistan’s economy.
