Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has called for positioning geospatial intelligence as a strategic national asset to help drive Pakistan’s transition toward a digitally empowered, knowledge based, and globally competitive economy under the URAAN Pakistan framework. He made the remarks while addressing the first National Seminar on Powering Pakistan’s Digital Geospatial Future, organized by the Survey of Pakistan in collaboration with National University of Sciences and Technology at the Centre for International Peace and Stability in Islamabad.
During his address, the minister outlined five national priorities aimed at unlocking Pakistan’s geospatial potential. These include formulating a comprehensive National Geospatial Strategy aligned with URAAN Pakistan, establishing an integrated National Spatial Data Infrastructure built around the principle of collecting data once and using it many times for secure sharing and evidence based policymaking, and investing in human capital through the development of GIS specialists, remote sensing experts, AI engineers, surveyors, and spatial data scientists. He also called for promoting public private partnerships and indigenous geospatial startups across agriculture, logistics, mining, urban planning, insurance, and disaster management, along with strengthening international cooperation in satellite technology, earth observation, positioning systems, and geospatial innovation while building up Pakistan’s own technological capabilities in the field.
Iqbal said that after restoring macroeconomic stability, Pakistan is now focused on accelerating productivity, competitiveness, and inclusive growth, with an ambition to become a one trillion dollar economy by 2035. He noted that the country’s goal of surpassing 100 billion dollars in exports could be supported through spatial intelligence by identifying competitive industrial clusters, optimizing logistics corridors, improving agricultural productivity through precision farming, and accelerating responsible mineral exploration. He pointed to the convergence of artificial intelligence, satellite technology, cloud computing, drones, and geographic information systems as a force reshaping governance globally, noting that AI powered geospatial technologies now enable predictive planning through real time monitoring of land use, infrastructure, water resources, crop conditions, and environmental changes.
The minister emphasized that nearly 80 percent of government decisions carry a location component, making geospatial intelligence indispensable for informed policymaking, public investment, and efficient service delivery. He added that geospatial technologies remain vital for strengthening climate resilience, disaster preparedness, food security, border management, and the protection of critical infrastructure. Iqbal closed his remarks by calling on Pakistan’s youth to become producers of knowledge and innovation, urging them to build technologies and startups capable of addressing the country’s development challenges and contributing to its digital future.
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