Pakistan, rich in resources and heritage, faces economic challenges that require rapid infrastructure development and strategic investment. A proposed plan focuses on leveraging CPEC, upgrading railways, and engaging the diaspora to drive sustainable growth and self-reliance.

Pakistan is a multicultural nation of rich Islamic heritage with its roots embedded in over 5000 years of magnificent Indus Civilization. Pakistan is a distinct nation of 250 million people located at the junction of ancient economic corridors, providing access to over four billion people worldwide within six hours. It is blessed with Indus Rivers System (IRS), a symbol of unity and backbone of national economy. Being located on Tethyan Belt, Pakistan is one of the richest countries of the world, inherited with an abundance of precious and rare mineral resources. Additionally, clean, reliable and renewable energy resources, like solar, wind, hydropower, bioenergy and geothermal, are its unique assets. Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and coastal areas, extending over 1000 km, have immense untapped economic potential. 

The only option left for Pakistan is to ensure rapid socioeconomic growth, industrialization and self-reliance pursuing new and innovative approach. 

Unfortunately, unique geo-strategic settings, enormous geo-economic potential and cultural diversity could not be fostered as positive elements of national power. The nation is navigating through a complex period, dealing with issues such as border disputes, a divided Indus River System (IRS), a high disaster risk profile, and connectivity difficulties. Additionally, Pakistan is addressing concerns related to Independent Power Producers (IPPs), State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), agricultural efficiency, and societal cohesion. Economic challenges include trade and fiscal deficits, currency fluctuations, loans, and a need to boost the gross domestic product (GDP). The country is also working to manage poverty, inflation, education, employment, and the economic impacts of various factors. Furthermore, climate change, supply chain vulnerabilities, global uncertainties, and evolving crises present additional areas of focus.
In this backdrop, a study has been conducted to put Pakistan on the road to ‘Peace and Prosperity’ through fast-paced development targeting human and economic security, the most important ingredients of national security in the emerging landscape. The study suggests an urgent, holistic, and multifaceted approach to rapid strategic infrastructure development, industrialization, and digital transformation based on knowledge, technology, innovation, and multilateral collaborations. An analysis of forty case studies reveals that Pakistan’s governance requires structural, regulatory, and fiscal reforms; human capital requires education, skilling, healthcare, entrepreneurial abilities, and character building; resource optimization requires strategic reorientation with high-impact initiatives in multiple sectors; the energy sector requires reforms to make it accessible and affordable, with advanced technology solutions; and socioeconomic development requires a competent team well-versed in national system dynamics. It is envisioned that peace and prosperity can be achieved by pursuing the following strategy:
▪Optimizing national resources by minimizing state expenses, reducing trade and fiscal deficits, instituting meritocracy, branding Pakistani products, living within means, and promoting massive socioeconomic transformation to turn crises into opportunities by fostering ‘Faith, Unity, Discipline.’
▪ Developing human capital through an 'Educating and Skilling Program' for over 25 million out-of-school children and 10 million unemployed youth, focusing on technical education, vocational training, and character building. This program aims to inculcate self-discipline, work ethics, ingenuity, resilience, and entrepreneurial vigor.
▪ Enhancing national wealth by rapid strategic infrastructure development in multiple sectors, like water resource, multimodal transportation, digital services, renewable energy, food security, advanced technologies, scientific mining, minerals processing, blue economy and hi-tech industries.  
▪ Developing 50-100 km corridor by integrating transportation, energy and digital infrastructure along China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) priority route, with six clusters of smart cities for each province, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK): Industrial City to boost business and exports, Knowledge City to promote science and technology as engines of growth and Tourism City to market healthcare, adventure, sports, excursion and maritime facilities. 
▪ Engaging Pakistani diaspora by special initiatives and evolving multilateral collaborations with paradigm shift in approach of doing business to enhance foreign exchange earnings, remittances and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) through partnerships, technology transfer and exports rather than reliance on loans or donations. 
The only option left for Pakistan is to ensure rapid socioeconomic growth, industrialization and self-reliance pursuing new and innovative approach. It is proposed that the ‘Strategic Development Division’ (SDD) be created in the Central Government under the existing framework of the Constitution of Pakistan and the Rules of Business, with the mandate to ‘orchestrate fast-paced economic development’. The SDD shall urgently mobilize priority megaprojects considered the lifeline of the state for stimulating socioeconomic growth. It shall evolve systems for strategic planning, monitoring, and execution by integrating key stakeholders and developing core capabilities by engaging competent professionals, SOEs, the private sector, and global partners. An SDD Fund shall be established to ensure sustainable financing of projects through innovative multiple revenue streams. The SDD will develop 'Vision 2035' and two 3-year SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound) action plans to achieve short-, medium-, and long-term goals through top-down holistic planning and bottom-up modular execution, building the "lego of mega-dreams."

There is a need to strategize, incentivize, and create opportunities to engage the Pakistani diaspora to tap into their intellectual abilities and capital resources. Pakistan needs to create an enabling environment by ensuring ease of doing business, providing institutional support to the private sector, and offering quality infrastructure to boost investments, businesses, industries, and exports.

The study recommends strategic infrastructure development in priority sectors of the national economy, with water resource development being the most important. Water for Pakistan is as crucial as oil for the Middle East. Pakistan's Indus River System (IRS) is the cheapest source of green energy and supports the world's largest contiguous irrigation system. Currently, the water sector faces multiple challenges: irrigation infrastructure is rapidly deteriorating, reservoirs are silting up, weather patterns bring 80 percent of the water in 100 days causing catastrophic floods, and an average of 35 million acre-feet (MAF) is drained into the sea annually, with a potential economic loss of over USD 50 billion. Pakistan needs to build a series of dams to create storage for domestic, industrial, agricultural, and energy needs, as well as to mitigate floods. It is emphasized that the fair and equitable distribution of benefits to all provinces be ensured through independent monitoring and strict enforcement to effectively curb negative hydro politics.

Pakistan urgently needs six ‘National Institute of Advanced Technologies’ (NIAT) as world-class modern university, coupled with ‘NIAT Advanced Technology Industrial Park’ and ‘Knowledge City’, integrating academia, business and industry for promoting ‘knowledge economy’ on conceptual, scientific and technological bases. 

CPEC was launched in 2015 as a multifaceted program focusing on connectivity and energy. It should be accelerated with the immediate objective of completing the priority route and operationalizing Gwadar as an international commercial port with its Special Economic Zone (SEZ). Additionally, there is a need to integrate CPEC with emerging regional corridors to make Pakistan a hub of energy and connectivity. It would be a significant strategic and economic loss if Pakistan is unable to capitalize on the evolving opportunities. Proper strategies are needed to benefit from this 'once-in-a-generation' chance for regional geo-economic integration.
Pakistan needs to upgrade its railway infrastructure, estimated at USD 15 billion, in collaboration with China, with the aim of launching high-speed railways as a joint venture under a phased program. This initiative will pay rich dividends if national outfits gain expertise and build capacity through the transfer of technology in iron-ore processing, steel-rail manufacturing, railroad tracks, terminals, and digital infrastructure. This will enable Pakistan to create jobs, revive SOEs, mobilize the private sector, achieve self-reliance, and enhance export potential.
Pakistan urgently needs six ‘National Institute of Advanced Technologies’ (NIAT) as world-class modern university, coupled with ‘NIAT Advanced Technology Industrial Park’ and ‘Knowledge City’, integrating academia, business and industry for promoting ‘knowledge economy’ on conceptual, scientific and technological bases. NIAT should harness indigenous talent, modern scientific and digital education, cutting-edge applied research, commercial spin-offs, international ambience, hi-tech ecosystem and smart civic facilities, encouraging collaboration with renowned global institutions. 
Pakistan needs to mobilize its Blue Economy through the comprehensive utilization of its EEZ, continental shelf, and over 1,000 km of coastline by engaging in oil and gas exploration, developing petrochemical industries, harvesting ocean resources, and promoting exports. Leveraging the airport at Gwadar to deliver a variety of fresh seafood products to overseas markets can enhance this effort. Gwadar, Keti Bandar, Port Qasim, Ormara, Pasni, Jiwani, and other potential port sites need well-integrated development plans as commercial ports and fish harbors along the 1,000 km coastline to fully mobilize maritime resources, including fisheries, mining, shipping, renewables, and tourism.

Focusing on competence may be Pakistan’s opportunity to make a policy shift in the right direction. However, given its far-reaching consequences, a prudent, indigenous, phased, and innovative approach should be preferred. 

Pakistan’s diaspora, estimated at 10 million strong, has contributed immensely in intellectual, philanthropic, social, cultural, and economic fields. They have significantly transformed Pakistan’s landscape, with the impact of remittances being well recognized. The scientific, intellectual, and skilled diaspora are considered 'brain banks abroad,' as they bring knowledge, professional expertise, technological skills, and business contacts when they return to the motherland. There is a need to strategize, incentivize, and create opportunities to engage the Pakistani diaspora to tap into their intellectual abilities and capital resources. Pakistan needs to create an enabling environment by ensuring ease of doing business, providing institutional support to the private sector, and offering quality infrastructure to boost investments, businesses, industries, and exports.
The existing system is unable to induce the requisite economic and social development. In light of this, the government has decided to build capacity by employing competent technical experts and consulting firms to fix the national economy. State power can be likened to kinetic energy, measured by multiplying half the value of mass by the square of velocity. In statecraft, mass represents the sum total of resources, while velocity represents competence, a function of capabilities and know-how. Thus, focusing on competence may be Pakistan’s opportunity to make a policy shift in the right direction. However, given its far-reaching consequences, a prudent, indigenous, phased, and innovative approach should be preferred. SDD is the new policy framework to achieve this by mobilizing local talent, optimizing existing resources, and harnessing the potential of national institutions, augmented with its core capability. The world is in a state of strategic flux and recovering from pandemic aftershocks, making this the best time for Pakistan to focus on inclusive and indigenous development.
The proposed policy framework will integrate key stakeholders to deliver the ‘nation building program’ using state-of-the-art tools and technologies, along with engaging a multidisciplinary team of experts to ensure holistic planning for equitable development across the country. Initially, the focus will be on key sectors of the national economy for rapid socioeconomic transformation, ensuring that even short-term development is considered from a long-term perspective. Additionally, a competent design team will ensure that megaprojects are technically sound, environmentally sustainable, financially beneficial, and socially acceptable, while also mitigating harmful climate change impacts by mainstreaming ‘disaster risk reduction’ in all developmental activities. The program is achievable with the close support of national leadership. Time is precious; comprehensive deliberations at the appropriate level will ensure a thorough review to strategize, plan, and deliver a strategic program to put Pakistan on the road to peace and prosperity, Insha’Allah!

The author is a graduate of NDU, MIT, and Purdue University. He has held prestigious assignments at national and international levels, including DW&CE (Army), DG Engineers, Commander Army Engineers, Chairman NHA, DG NLC, and Professor at Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah Al-Mukarramah. He is the recipient of many awards, including the Purdue University Alumni Achievement Award (CEAAA-2009) for academic excellence and contributions to the profession of Civil Engineering.
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