Pakistan must shift from stability to generational growth: Muhammad Ali

September 17, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan needs to move beyond economic stabilization and focus on long-term, generational growth by strengthening competitiveness, innovation and private-sector participation, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization Muhammad Ali said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit 2026 under the theme “The Next Move Pakistan’s Next Phase of Growth, Investment and Competitiveness,” Muhammad Ali said the stability achieved through difficult economic decisions should serve as a foundation for sustainable growth rather than an end in itself.

He called for a credible public policy framework and a stronger role for the private sector in driving investment and productivity.

With Pakistan’s population projected to reach 390 million by 2050, Muhammad Ali stressed the need to redefine the relationship between the state and private enterprise, according to APP.

He said the state should lead, regulate, partner and enable businesses while strategically exiting sectors where private enterprises can deliver greater value.

Muhammad Ali said privatization should not be viewed merely as a transfer of ownership but as a means of unlocking economic value held back by traditional management structures.

Referring to the complex transaction involving Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), he said lessons from the process would help shape future privatization initiatives and develop bankable public-private partnership (PPP) pipelines for better infrastructure and services.

The adviser identified three structural shifts needed to renew Pakistan’s economy, including changing the way the country grows by moving away from consumption and external financing toward investment, productivity and private capital.

He also stressed the importance of innovation in local industries, calling for industrialization to be integrated with technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and electric vehicles.

Muhammad Ali further highlighted the need to increase workforce participation, particularly among women, while encouraging local businesses to expand their productive capacity and compete at an international scale.

Concluding his remarks, he said Pakistan must use the current period of economic stability to build a more productive and competitive economy capable of supporting growth through 2050.

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