Islamabad : The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) 3-day 29th Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) 2026, begins in Islamabad on Monday under a very important theme ” Rethinking Development in an Age of Disruption”.
Professor Ahsin Iqbal , Minister for Planning , Development and Special Initiatives , Dr Musadik Masood Malik Khan , Federal minister for Climate Change and Environment participated in the event as key note speaker and Guest of Honour respectively .
Dr Abid Qayyum Suleri , SDPI Executive Director , welcomed the guests and policy makers, researchers, intelligentsia z who attended SDI annual event here in a large number.
Professor Ahsin Iqbal addressing the conference as a key note speaker said today energy supply and war between Ukraine and Russia have challenged the whole world and changed the whole global dynamics. He said Pakistan is working with partners at global and regional partners for long term sustainable development. He said the geopolitical shifts have occured and AI, Robots are challenging the industrial and trade bases as well as security dynamics.
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Professor Iqbal Ahsin recalled that a regime (PTI) that came in , in 2018 derailed Pakistan’s journey of progress and development , but this country is again back on the road to progress and sustainability. Professor Ahsin Iqbal said every country is impacted by the changing global order and looking for new ecosystems to protect its interests . He said during his recent US visit , he met with many top universities top officials , who were worried as to how to change and reshape their strategies in today’s AI world. He said the government ‘s policy is to relate our education to sustainable development and industrial base. He said access to technology matters and it’s essential to meet today’s challenges like rising cost and weakening earnings for sustainable growth. Professor Ahsin Iqbal said 2022’s deadly flood damaged Pakistan’s infrastructure and inflicted a loss of $ 25 billion. He said under Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif ‘s rule , Pakistan is following a growth- led economic strategies and heading to a transformational sustainable economic growth. He said URRAN Pakistan Programme is providing a foundation for a brighter future of Pakistan.
Dr Musadik Masood Malik wailed that the funds for poor are shrinking with each passing year. He said 3.7 billion do not have access to funds for going forward. He added that he tries to look climate change with an eye of the poor . He referred the case of Rajab , a worker , in Jakabad who works at a small furnace at a boiling temperature to earn livelihood for his family. Mr Musadik said Pakistan is on a down steam of those disruptions which it did not produce ever. He repented that the people of poor counties are paying for disruptions they never created with their lives. He trashed those countries which are producing much of disruptions , but getting much more share of global income . The minister questioned who will pay the price for any future disastrous floods?. He said progress with rented money is borrowed one because you have to pay for loans so you do not own this development. He lamented that Pakistan is being killed by debt as it is paying 65 % of income for debt servicing. He said progress on debt is unacceptable. He noted that NO DEBT in any name may be BOND and Sakuk. He urged the government to stop getting debt for progress. He addressed to the people of HUNZA and promised that they will be having a bridge to get protected from any future flood.
Earlier , SDPI Executive Director , Dr Abdul Qayyum Sulehri , thanked the policy makers , guests and researchers who attended the SDPI conference in such a large number. He, in particular, appreciated and welcomed Professor Dr Rashid Al Mahmud Titumir , advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh , who travelled all along from Bangladesh to attend the conference. Dr Abid Qayyum listed a number of challenges confronted with the entire world including blockade of Strait of Harmoz and other water channels that choked the energy supply to a large part of the world and created an unprecedented energy crisis . He talked about the precious lives lost in the terrible war on Gaza . He thanked the federal ministers who took out time to grace the SDPI conference. He also appreciated participation of young researchers who were present at the event in a large number.
Guest of Honour , Professor Dr Rashid Al Titumir , in his address said today the world is experiencing a global disruption in politics , economy which has brought a wave of challenges for every member of the world. He said fast and most consequential disruption of today’s world is regional confrontation and despite such challenges the world is moving towards a strategic independence and it is much needed to protect our trade and security interests. Mr Titumir added that we must diversify trade strategy and come -up to meet the challenges being put today by AI and other new mechanisms. According to the Bangladeshi advisor , AI has changed the entire global spectrum and it is very important to change our polices and get well to fit in today’s huge challenge of AI . He said developing countries are facing financial constraints as with the changing world financial availabilities for developing countries as they are being hurt by rising debt cost. He said the central question is not how much progress is made by a country in the current world being run by disruptions, but how every country is getting benefit out of it. He noted that global challenges are not receding , but challenges are emerging in the new shapes and there is more need today to work out a joint strategy to meet all challenges created by 10 disruptions upfront. He called for a joint forum between Bangladesh and Pakistan to ensure protection of mutual interests in today’s changing world.
Welcoming the guests and policy makers at the conference , Ambassador Kakakhel urged for advanced sustainability and strong resilience. He noted that SDPI is for decades providing much -needed policy work and strategies for sustainable development in Pakistan. He argued that the theme of today’s conference is key to the on-going global environment having utter uncertainty amid the age of disruption.
He also called for research to meet the challenges confronting with Pakistan in today’s challenging world.
