Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has said teachers are the builders of a nation’s future and must prepare students not only with knowledge but also with character, discipline, critical thinking, and confidence. Speaking at a Teachers’ Day event in Narowal, Iqbal said every achievement in Pakistan had the contribution of a teacher behind it, paying tribute to educators across the country, particularly those teaching with limited resources. He said schools, colleges, and universities form the foundation of Pakistan’s future, but argued that teachers are what make educational institutions truly great, adding that the education system must adapt to rapid changes brought by artificial intelligence, automation, and climate change.
On the role of AI specifically, Iqbal stressed the need for responsible use of the technology, saying students should be taught to verify information, think critically, and take responsibility for their own decisions rather than relying passively on AI-generated output. He urged teachers to develop students’ ability to ask questions, conduct research, assess evidence, and solve problems, calling for classrooms where curiosity is encouraged, effort is valued, and mistakes are treated as opportunities to learn. He also said teachers must continue learning throughout their careers and remain familiar with new teaching methods, technology, and discoveries, framing ongoing professional development as essential given how quickly AI tools are reshaping classroom practice. His comments echo similar findings from a January 2026 Aitchison College study supported by the British Council, which found that 92 percent of participating teachers reported improved lesson adaptability through Generative AI, while project lead Sara Ahmer stressed at the time that the goal was to use AI to enhance, not replace, the educator’s role.
Beyond the AI discussion, Iqbal said education should aim not only to produce skilled workers but also responsible citizens, with honesty, empathy, a sense of duty, and civic awareness forming essential parts of educating the next generation. He urged teachers to give every child a fair opportunity to progress, particularly students facing poverty or family difficulties, saying a child’s current circumstances should not be treated as the limit of their potential. He also stressed the importance of giving girls confidence to pursue their ambitions and ensuring children from low-income families understand they have an equal right to opportunities, connecting these themes to the government’s Uraan Pakistan initiative, whose goals around exports, technology, environmental protection, and equitable development, he said, can only be achieved by developing human capabilities.
Iqbal called for better teaching materials, facilities, practical training, and professional support for teachers, while also warning that curricula, teacher training, and examination systems must be aligned, since asking teachers to develop creativity while exams reward memorization sends a contradictory message. He said the real objective of education reforms should be measurable impact at the classroom and student level, with teachers identifying and encouraging the potential of every child. Closing his address, Iqbal said students might forget a particular lesson, but they would remember a teacher who listened to them, treated them fairly, and taught them to believe in themselves, expressing hope that a generation trained by Pakistan’s teachers would help build a country confident in its identity, capable in its work, and respected internationally.
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