ORLANDO (FLORIDA): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has called on overseas Pakistanis to become active partners in Pakistan’s economic transformation, healthcare reforms and investment during his visit to the United States.
Addressing the 49th annual convention of the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent of North America (APPNA) in Orlando, he said the government’s URAAN Pakistan initiative places human capital development at the centre of national planning through investment in education, healthcare, innovation and technology.
The minister proposed a Telemedicine Backup model under which panels of 10 US-based medical specialists would support junior doctors in each of Pakistan’s 60 districts through digital consultations, aimed at improving healthcare delivery in remote areas.
He also urged overseas Pakistani doctors to help develop AI-driven healthcare solutions and digital health platforms, while highlighting national challenges including hepatitis C, diabetes, tuberculosis, polio, population growth and child stunting.
Ahsan Iqbal said the prime minister had approved the establishment of a National Population Council, chaired by the premier and comprising all chief ministers, to coordinate population management efforts.
He added that hepatitis C elimination programmes are underway in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, while a nationwide diabetes awareness campaign will be launched soon.
During meetings with the Pakistani-American business community, the minister invited overseas entrepreneurs and investors to promote exports, technology transfer and investment under the government’s export-led growth strategy.
He said that after the success of Ma’arka-e-Haq, Pakistan’s next major challenge is Ma’arka-e-Maeeshat—achieving economic strength through higher exports, industrial competitiveness, technological advancement and increased investment.
Concluding his engagements, Ahsan Iqbal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to policy continuity, improving the investment climate and strengthening partnerships with overseas Pakistanis, describing the diaspora as one of the country’s greatest strategic assets.
