Iqbal sets $100b export target for 2035

Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, according to The Express Tribune, said Pakistan should lift exports to $100 billion by 2035 to reduce its reliance on external borrowing. Speaking at the 39th gathering of the Pakistan Society of Development Economists (PSDE), held at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), he called for a competitive, export-driven economy able to end recurring balance-of-payments crises. He also urged officials to back competitiveness and investment with steady policies that outlast changes of government.

According to PIDE Vice Chancellor and PSDE President Dr Nadeem Javaid, Pakistan's export weakness stems from incentives that make selling abroad less appealing than serving sheltered home markets. He outlined a cycle in which a narrow export base deepens pressure on foreign exchange, which then restricts the imports of investment and production inputs needed to improve competitiveness. Iqbal, meanwhile, pointed to URAAN Pakistan, stressing competitive clusters, complete value chains and links to global supply networks.

Iqbal wants PIDE and researchers to draft practical export roadmaps setting out products, target markets, missing capabilities, institutional roles and delivery timelines. Javaid said the $100 billion figure works as a measure of progress rather than a plan, and that support for firms should depend on measurable performance. In his view, success should be measured through more jobs, real wage growth and a better quality of life.