I am glad to share the Report of the “Committee to Review and Formulate ICT Governance Model” constituted by Hon’ble Prime Minister @CMShehbaz. The report envisages a Capital that is democratic, efficient, environmentally sustainable, technologically advanced and responsive to the aspirations of its Citizens.
As the Chairman of the Committee, I am grateful to the Members of the Committee for their time and efforts on this important task as well as the technical team at the Planning Commission for putting this document together.
On the directions of the Prime Minister, we are now sharing this report for public feedback and obtaining suggestions on further refinement. Please use the link below to download the report and use the feedback form to provide you input. Together, we can ensure that Islamabad stands as an example of transformative governance for the entire nation.
https://t.co/dDdcTX57yo
📌 وفاقی ترقیاتی بجٹ 2026-27
وفاقی حکومت نے مالی سال 2026-27 کے لیے 1126 ارب روپے کا ترقیاتی بجٹ مختص کیا ہے، جس کا مقصد ملک بھر میں بنیادی ڈھانچے، رابطہ کاری، توانائی، آبی وسائل، انسانی ترقی اور علاقائی ترقی کے منصوبوں کو آگے بڑھانا ہے۔
ترقیاتی بجٹ کی تقسیم:
🔹 قومی اہمیت کے منصوبے: 394 ارب روپے
🔹 بلوچستان: 241 ارب روپے
🔹 سندھ: 195 ارب روپے
🔹 آزاد جموں و کشمیر و گلگت بلتستان: 126 ارب روپے
🔹 خیبرپختونخوا: 98 ارب روپے
🔹 پنجاب: 72 ارب روپے
یہ سرمایہ کاری ملک کے مختلف حصوں میں جاری اور نئے ترقیاتی منصوبوں کی تکمیل، علاقائی رابطوں کے فروغ، معاشی سرگرمیوں میں اضافے اور عوامی سہولیات کی بہتری میں اہم کردار ادا کرے گی۔
#PSDP2026_27 #DevelopmentBudget #PakistanDevelopment #PlanningCommission #SustainableDevelopment
Understanding complex global challenges requires much more than just reading the headlines, it requires deep, structural perspective.
The 2026 Overseas Pakistanis Summer Scholars Programme is your gateway to learning in a country actively engaging with the world through conversation, cooperation, and a unified vision for peace.
Step into the Ministry of Planning to see how international developmental, diplomatic, and economic strategies are synthesized into actionable national policies.
Bypass the conventional corporate routine this summer break. Learn where conversations matter.
Come with ambition. Leave with insight, leadership, and a deeper connection to Pakistan’s future.
Applications Deadline: 15 June 2026
🔗 Apply Online Today: https://t.co/uMEkLq7oXK
#YouthKiUraan #GlobalScholars #DiplomacyAndDialogue #PublicPolicy #NationalTransformation @YPDC_PK
BIG NEWS FOR ISLAMABAD 🇵🇰
A major governance reform proposal has been put forward that could redefine the future of Pakistan’s capital.
The proposal suggests introducing an elected Chief Minister for Islamabad, aiming to strengthen public representation, improve accountability, and accelerate decision-making for a rapidly growing city.
As Islamabad evolves into a modern metropolitan hub, the debate raises important questions about how the capital can be governed more effectively to meet the needs of its citizens.
Read the full story here: https://t.co/srTElqpEea
#Islamabad #GovernanceReform #PublicPolicy #LocalGovernment #Pakistan @betterpakistan@thenews_intl@TheNews
This chart tells the plight of PSDP.
Between 2013 and 2018, under the PMLN government led by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan witnessed the largest development push in its history. Guided by Vision 2025 and the 11th Five-Year Plan, PSDP allocations increased from Rs 360 billion to over Rs 1 trillion, reaching a historic 2.6% of GDP and nearly 20% of the federal budget in 2017-18.
These resources were invested in transformational projects. Pakistan added over 11,000 MW of electricity generation capacity, eliminating crippling power shortages. A nationwide network of motorways and highways improved connectivity. Major investments were made in higher education, science and technology, skills development, and human resource development. Most importantly, CPEC Phase-I was launched, bringing unprecedented infrastructure and energy investment to the country.
This development-led strategy laid the foundation for sustained economic growth and national competitiveness.
Unfortunately, this momentum was disrupted after 2018. An inexperienced and incompetent government, installed through a rigged election, presided over economic mismanagement, policy reversals, and excessive borrowing. As public debt surged, debt servicing obligations ballooned, consuming resources that should have been invested in development.
The result is evident in the chart. PSDP fell from 2.6% of GDP in 2017-18 to just 0.6% in 2025-26, while its share in the federal budget declined from nearly 20% to less than 5%. Increasingly, budgetary resources are being diverted toward inherited servicing debt rather than building schools, universities, hospitals, dams, roads, technology infrastructure, and productive assets.
This is the hidden cost of economic mismanagement. When development spending is sacrificed to finance debt, a nation begins consuming its future instead of building it.
Pakistan cannot achieve the goals of URAAN Pakistan, create jobs for its growing youth population, or become a trillion-dollar economy while development expenditure remains at historic lows. Restoring fiscal discipline, reducing the debt burden, and raising public investment back to at least 2–3% of GDP is essential for sustainable growth and national transformation.
The lesson of this chart is simple: nations prosper when they invest in their future; they stagnate when development is crowded out by debt and when they have incompetent and vindictive leaders. Pakistan will return to the path of investment, productivity, and long-term nation building. IA!
Everyone Has Internships. Not Everyone Has Impact.
The difference? Depth. Perspective. Real-world exposure.
The 2026 Overseas Pakistanis Summer Scholars Programme is a definitive call to high-caliber students ready for work that pushes you beyond student mode.
True competitive edge isn't built on paper, the strongest professional profiles are built through tangible, country-scale experiences that you cannot fake.
Step into the Ministry of Planning under the #YouthKiUraan framework to claim a unique vantage point:
🔹 Blend international training with national execution.
🔹 Help draft policies that affect millions.
🔹 Network at the highest levels of governance.
Bypass the generic routines this summer. Stand out for something real. Build a stronger CV.
Come with ambition. Leave with insight, leadership, and a deeper connection to Pakistan’s future.
Applications Deadline: 15 June 2026
🔗 Apply Online Today: https://t.co/Yed4Ij5WRz
#YouthKiUraan #GlobalScholars #PublicPolicy #BuildYourCV #NationalTransformation @YPDC_PK
𝐏𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧’𝐬 𝐋𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐳
Pakistan’s energy security remains deeply tied to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for the country’s LNG imports from Qatar and the UAE. Recent disruptions have exposed how geopolitical tensions can quickly translate into higher energy costs, industrial slowdowns, and pressure on the power sector.
In this op-ed, Bilal Aftab, Staff Economist, PIDE, examines how the Hormuz crisis revealed Pakistan’s dependence on a single energy corridor and the limitations of relying on diplomatic arrangements for supply security.
Read More: https://t.co/XfDOqlqAQi
@nadeemjavaid75, @betterpakistan, @PlanComPakistan, @GovtofPakistan, @MoWP15, @ForeignOfficePk, @mincompk, @FaheemJehangir, @Fizzscreams
#PIDE #EnergySecurity #LNG #PakistanEconomy #StraitOfHormuz #EnergyPolicy #RenewableEnergy #Geopolitics
Missed the live session?
Watch the full edition of Ask the Minister featuring Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal.
In this interactive session, the Planning Minister discusses the Development Budget, Pakistan’s economic priorities, key development initiatives, youth empowerment, infrastructure development, and the government’s vision for sustainable growth.
Watch the complete session and gain insights into the policies and projects shaping Pakistan’s future.
📺 Full Session: https://t.co/T4REANA0ks
#AskTheMinister #AhsanIqbal #DevelopmentBudget #PakistanDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #PublicEngagement #YouthEmpowerment
Real progress isn't just about hard work; it's about the deliberate alignment of forward-looking institutions and future-ready talent.
The 2026 Overseas Pakistanis Summer Scholars Programme is the bridge between your advanced international education and the macro-level state strategy of the Ministry of Planning.
This is your platform to step past textbook theory and into the engine room of national transformation.
Where ideas meet action, young leaders shape what comes next. Join the momentum.
Come with ambition. Leave with insight, leadership, and a deeper connection to Pakistan’s future.
Applications Deadline: 15 June 2026
🔗 Join the Momentum: https://t.co/Yed4Ij5WRz
#YouthKiUraan #GlobalScholars #PublicPolicy #JoinTheMomentum #NationalTransformation @YPDC_PK
🔴 LIVE NOW | Ask the Minister
The conversation is happening right now!
Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, is LIVE and answering your questions under the “Ask the Minister” initiative.
Join the live session, share your questions, and hear directly about Pakistan’s development priorities, economic roadmap, youth opportunities, and the Development Budget.
📲 Watch Live Here: Facebook Live Session
https://t.co/PHT330BEe6
#AskTheMinister #AhsanIqbal #DevelopmentPakistan #PublicEngagement #PakistanDevelopment
📢 Stay Tuned!
Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal will be LIVE shortly under the #AskTheMinister initiative.
Get ready to hear firsthand about Pakistan's development agenda, economic priorities, opportunities for youth, and the vision for a stronger future.
🎙️ Your questions. Minister's answers.
Stay connected!
#AskTheMinister #PakistanDevelopment #AhsanIqbal
🔥 Got a Question About Pakistan's Development? Ask It Directly to the Minister!
Today at 4:00 PM, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal goes live to discuss the Development Budget and answer questions from the public.
🎯 Whether you're a:
◾️Student
◾️ Professional
◾️ Farmer
◾️ Entrepreneur
◾️ Researcher
◾️ Teacher
Join Ask the Minister today and put your questions directly to Prof. Ahsan Iqbal.
🕓 Today | 4:00 PM
Join us live at our Facebook Page: https://t.co/ZOgiWh553T
Ask. Engage. Participate.
Because development works best when citizens are part of the conversation.
#AskTheMinister #DevelopmentBudget #URAANPakistan #DevelopmentBudget2026
🔥 Got a Question About Pakistan's Development? Ask It Directly to the Minister!
Today at 4:00 PM, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal goes live to discuss the Development Budget and answer questions from the public.
🎯 Whether you're a:
◾️Student
◾️ Professional
◾️ Farmer
◾️ Entrepreneur
◾️ Researcher
◾️ Teacher
Join Ask the Minister today and put your questions directly to Prof. Ahsan Iqbal.
🕓 Today | 4:00 PM
Join us live at our Facebook Page: https://t.co/ZOgiWh553T
Ask. Engage. Participate.
Because development works best when citizens are part of the conversation.
#AskTheMinister #DevelopmentBudget #URAANPakistan #DevelopmentBudget2026
Tomorrow's careers are being built in a world that never stands still. To lead, you must first understand the machinery of change.
The 2026 Overseas Pakistanis Summer Scholars Programme is your platform to build the kind of experience the future rewards. Step into the Ministry of Planning to gain the perspective, experience, and adaptability required to lead through national-scale transformation.
Don't just watch the future arrive, architect your place within it.
Come with ambition. Leave with insight, leadership, and a deeper connection to Pakistan’s future.
Applications Deadline: 15 June 2026
🔗 Secure Your Edge: https://t.co/Yed4Ij6uH7
#YouthKiUraan #GlobalScholars #FutureReady #PublicPolicy #NationalTransformation
The Development Budget is more than a financial document, it is a roadmap for Pakistan’s future.
Join Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, @betterpakistan for a special live session on the Development Budget 2026-27, where he will discuss the government’s development priorities, strategic investments, and the initiatives driving economic transformation and national progress.
📅 June 4, 2026
🕓 4:00 PM
Be part of the conversation and engage directly with the Federal Minister.
#AskTheMinister #DevelopmentBudget #UraanPakistan #PlanningForProsperity #NationalDevelopment @etribune@jang_akhbar@PTVNewsOfficial@Dawn_News@geonews_urdu@ranajawad@RadioPakistan@ExpressNewsPK@Aaj_Urdu@thenews_intl
𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗱.
In his latest op-ed published in The News International, Dr. Nadeem Javaid (@nadeemjavaid75) argues that as Pakistan prepares its new budget, the larger question is whether the country is investing enough in the foundations of future growth. The article highlights how persistent underinvestment may be one of the most overlooked constraints on Pakistan’s long-term development trajectory.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁
Read here: https://t.co/aaNsstg84b
@betterpakistan, @PlanComPakistan, @FaheemJehangir, @Fizzscreams
#PakistanEconomy #Development #PSDP #PublicInvestment #EconomicGrowth #URAANPakistan
Launched under the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and led forward by Federal Minister Prof. Ahsan Iqbal, this is an institutional invitation to connect young Pakistanis with true public purpose, leadership, and national transformation.
The 2026 Overseas Pakistanis Summer Scholars Programme proudly brings together both Pakistan-origin and foreign national students to bridge international training with macro-level state strategy.
This year, we are offering two distinct residency tracks:
✔️6-Week Track: Includes a stipend of PKR 100,000
✔️8-Week Track: Includes a stipend of PKR 120,000
Come with ambition. Leave with insight, leadership, and a deeper connection to Pakistan’s future.
Applications Deadline: 15 June 2026
🔗 Apply Today: https://t.co/Yed4Ij6uH7
#YouthKiUraan #GlobalScholars #PublicPolicy #NationalMovement #Transformation @YPDC_PK