| T |
Two recent events—the unveiling of the federal budget in the National Assembly on June 10 and a brief military standoff with India—should have prompted deep reflection of which there has been little evidence.
Neither the document that charts our economic future nor the geopolitical flare-up with a hostile neighbour sparked a serious discourse about where the country is headed. Instead, we saw a torrent of slogans, declarations and chest-thumping—plenty of noise, but little in the way of vision. What could have been a moment of collective introspection became yet another exercise in rhetorical bravado. In a country facing structural economic fragility, the gulf between what is said and what is needed has never felt more profound.
For decades, our nationalism has found expression in emotive symbols—flags, solidarity marches and televised national songs. The harder, quieter work of economic nation-building has been neglected. We speak often of the homeland, but a lot less of what sustains it: our vast agriculture fields, the factories, philanthropies, corporate offices, digital work force, government functionaries, universities, research laboratories and ideas that generate value in a competitive world. Pakistan, now nearing its 24th IMF programme, cannot rely on another cycle of symbolic pride and no material progress.
The moment calls for more than ceremony. It calls for a reckoning of what we produce and whether it is enough to support a population of 240 million in an increasingly unforgiving global economy.
Being home to over 240 million people and close to 300 universities, Pakistan is not short on talent or ambition. What it lacks is a culture of scientific inquiry, innovation and production of knowledge that translates into goods the world wants to buy. The essential work of building a resilient economy through research, invention and enterprise has remained n the margins of public concern.
We often look to our diaspora for remittances, but rarely for ideas. This is a costly oversight. Across the globe, Pakistani-origin scientists, engineers, economists, scholars and doctors are designing chips, running research laboratories, managing venture capital funds, teaching at the world’s top universities and leading medical advancements. Yet few of them are drawn into Pakistan’s economic imagination in any meaningful way. There is no institutional bridge between their technical expertise and the state’s industrial ambitions—only occasional panels and ceremonial visits.
Being home to over 240 million people and close to 300 universities, Pakistan is not short on talent or ambition. What it lacks is a culture of scientific inquiry, innovation and production of knowledge that translates into goods the world wants to buy.
Countries that take development seriously do not treat their diaspora as a mere remittance source. They understand that while money matters, ideas matter far more. In these nations, the diaspora is not kept at an arm’s length, called only in times of natural disaster and to support non-profits. Instead, they are treated as stakeholders—brought into the fold not only to fund the future, but also to help imagine and build it. This means creating structured avenues for diaspora expertise in policymaking, innovation and institution-building.
Unfortunately our approach to the Pakistani diaspora remains largely transactional. We want them to send us money, speak of their love for the homeland but not ask inconvenient questions about how we run things. This is not how nations rise. If we are to move beyond slogans, then we must ask ourselves: are we willing to invite our brightest minds not just to invest in our economy, but also to help reshape it?
The political theatre is often mistaken for governance. It is not. Governance requires clarity of direction and a coherent policy. Most of our national effort is spent on narratives, not outcomes. We will remain caught in slogans, not strategy, until the economy becomes the central site of political competition, with every party taking a clear position on taxation, trade, industrial development and education.
Much has been written about Pakistan’s resilience—how we bounce back from crisis after crisis. But resilience without reform is inertia in disguise. What we need is not just survival, but also transformation: a shift from economic marginality to global competitiveness. That requires more than policy tweaks. It demands a national commitment to science, research, entrepreneurship and hard institutional work.
The privileged must understand that the durability of their position depends on the strength of the country. We need to believe that mentorship, investment and support for young innovators is a real patriotism. If we are serious about sovereignty, it is time to build an economy that can stand on its own feet.
The writer is theco-author of Agents of Change and The Economy of Modern Sindh