Leaders at Future Summit call for Pakistan’s course correction

November 07, 2025 (MLN): Pakistan’s path to progress depends on strategic convergence aligning diplomacy, defense, and development to navigate global uncertainty as emphasized at the conclusion of the 9th edition of The Future Summit (TFS).

The two-day event, themed “Course Correction: Redefining the Direction,” brought together key leaders from government, business, and academia to deliberate on geopolitics, the climate economy, responsible leadership, and financial transformation. Co-hosted by the Nutshell Group and the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), and held in partnership with Faysal Bank Limited and the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OICCI), the summit aimed to redefine Pakistan’s strategic and economic trajectory.

Speaking at the closing session, “The Geopolitical Chessboard Pakistan at the Strategic Crossroads,” former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat highlighted the need for Pakistan to recalibrate its foreign policy amid a multipolar world, said a press release issued. 

“Multipolarity allows Pakistan to chart relations beyond Washington and Beijing; the emergence of regional power clusters makes multilateralism more relevant,” he noted.

Former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman stressed the importance of institutional continuity and technological self-reliance, while economist Dr. Ishrat Husain focused on export diversification, urging Pakistan to tap into service exports and recognize remittances as a vital component of the economy.

Dr. Moeed Yusuf, Vice Chancellor of Beaconhouse National University, emphasized human security as the ultimate goal of national progress, and former Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry warned against the global rise of unilateralism and hyper-nationalism.

Day one featured discussions on climate leadership during the session “Shaping the New Climate Economy,” hosted by Spectreco LLC. CEO Faraz Khan called sustainability an “intergenerational investment,” while Partner Sajjeed Aslam revealed that Pakistan could access up to $20 billion in global climate funding over the next decade if it builds credible green leadership.

Another session, “Beyond Profit: Purpose, People & Progress,” brought together leaders from Coca-Cola, FranklinCovey Pakistan, PharmEvo, PTCL Group, Oxford University Press, and Askari Bank to highlight the rise of purpose-driven organizations. The panel, moderated by Rabia Ahmad, CEO of Nutshell Group, stressed inclusion, governance, and employee well-being as key enablers of sustainable growth.

The session “The Financial Frontier: Reform, Resilience & Renewal” explored Islamic finance and its evolution. Mufti Muhammad Hassan Kaleem noted, “Everything conventional is not un-Islamic; we should focus on whether financial arrangements are Shariah-acceptable.”

In a fireside chat, “Beyond Stability: Crafting the Next Economic Playbook,” former FBR Chairman Shabbar Zaidi, journalist Khurram Husain, and economist Ali Khizar called for long-term reforms and innovation to overcome low growth and economic stagnation.

Nutshell Group Founder and Chairman Muhammad Azfar Ahsan urged unity and investor facilitation, stating, “It is not a question of surviving but thriving. Pakistan must act as one nation with common goals.”

With robust dialogue and strategic insights, The Future Summit 9th Edition reaffirmed its role as Pakistan’s premier thought leadership platform, steering the national conversation toward innovation, sustainability, and inclusive economic transformation.

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