'System reset' to boost performance, address institutional hurdles, says Naqvi

“Some departments and institutions have become hurdles to our performance,” Naqvi said, stressing that the government was trying to rectify such shortcomings. He reiterated that the country’s system needed to be reset but said such a process could not be achieved without the cooperation and support of the business community.

Naqvi expressed hope that once the system was reset, the situation would improve significantly. The interior minister also highlighted Iran’s economic development despite decades of international sanctions, drawing lessons that Pakistan could potentially adopt. He said people who had not visited Iran often viewed it as a country devastated by conflict.

However, those who accompanied him on recent visits were surprised by the level of development they witnessed there. Naqvi pointed out that Iran had developed significant domestic manufacturing capabilities, including in the automobile sector, despite facing sanctions for decades.

He stressed that Pakistan needed to pursue export-led growth while simultaneously reducing its dependence on imports by strengthening local manufacturing. The minister called on the business community to submit proposals aimed at increasing exports and reducing imports through greater domestic production.

“If Iran can achieve this despite facing sanctions for 30 to 40 years, we can do much more,” Naqvi said, urging Pakistan to learn from its neighbour’s economic experience.