Lahore: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has called for a reset of Pakistan’s system, saying some departments and institutions have become obstacles to government performance and urging the business community to support reform.
Speaking to businessmen in Lahore on Friday, Naqvi said the government regularly received complaints about federal institutions and sought to address problems where possible.
“It seems that some departments and institutions have become hurdles in the way of our performance,” he said.
Naqvi declined to elaborate on the institutions concerned but maintained that wider changes required support from businesses.
“At this time, this country’s system needs to be reset, and we cannot do that until we have your support,” he said.
The remarks revived an argument he made at the Pakistan Economic Summit in July. His earlier call for new administrative units had also generated political debate.
Alongside institutional reform, Naqvi urged businesses to develop proposals for increasing exports and reducing imports through domestic manufacturing.
He cited Iran’s industrial development despite decades of sanctions, drawing on his recent visits as part of Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts concerning the conflict between Washington and Tehran.
Naqvi said members of delegations accompanying him had been surprised by the scale of development they witnessed, contrasting it with perceptions of widespread destruction.
He pointed particularly to Iran’s automotive industry and its domestic production capabilities.
While agreeing that export growth was necessary for Pakistan’s economy, he argued that expanding local manufacturing should be pursued at the same time to reduce dependence on imported goods.
Naqvi asked the business community to submit proposals addressing both objectives and said Pakistan could learn from Iran’s experience of developing industrial capacity under prolonged sanctions.
His remarks outlined a call for institutional and industrial reform, without setting out a specific restructuring plan or implementation timetable.
