ISLAMABAD, (APP – UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 30th Jul, 2026) Interior Minister, Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday called for sweeping institutional reforms and greater political consensus, urging Pakistan’s business community to move beyond financing election campaigns and play a leading role in shaping the country’s governance and economic future.
Addressing the Pakistan Economic Summit in the Federal capital, the interior minister said Pakistan’s longstanding governance challenges could not be resolved without structural reforms, administrative decentralization and cooperation among all political stakeholders.
Reflecting on discussions held during various sessions of the summit, Naqvi said representatives from across the country had highlighted similar concerns about governance, public service delivery and economic development. While acknowledging Pakistan’s growing international standing and economic opportunities, he maintained that recurring governance failures had prevented the country from fully realizing its potential.
The minister said Pakistan’s governance framework had reached a point where fundamental reforms had become unavoidable. Stressing that he remained a strong supporter of democracy, he argued that democracy must function through an efficient and responsive administrative structure rather than an outdated system that no longer met the needs of citizens. Temporary measures, he said, would continue to amount to little more than “firefighting” unless the country’s institutional foundations were strengthened.
Naqvi urged political parties, the business community and civil society to work together to establish additional administrative units or provinces so that justice, government services and decision-making could be brought closer to the people. He said citizens should not have to travel for hours to access courts or other essential public services, adding that effective local governance was critical for sustainable economic growth.
Highlighting the role of entrepreneurs, the minister said business leaders possessed the management skills needed to solve complex national challenges and should actively participate in the political process rather than limiting their involvement to funding election campaigns.
He argued that meaningful reforms would only become possible when the business community collectively demanded institutional change.
Focusing on Pakistan’s youth, Naqvi said young people were seeking merit-based employment, equal opportunities and transparent governance rather than temporary financial assistance. He warned that ignoring the aspirations of the younger generation could create serious social pressures, emphasizing that providing employment opportunities and ensuring merit must become national priorities.
The interior minister also criticized Pakistan’s dependence on borrowing to finance annual budgets, saying governments had repeatedly relied on debt instead of undertaking structural reforms. He maintained that no amount of hard work by political leaders could produce lasting results without resetting the country’s governance system through broad political agreement.
Calling for dialogue among all political parties, Naqvi urged national leaders to set aside their differences and jointly redesign governance structures. He suggested that proposals for administrative reforms should be debated in Parliament, universities, colleges and the media, while public opinion should ultimately determine the future direction of the country’s governance model.
While acknowledging Pakistan’s improving international profile, the minister said external achievements would remain incomplete without corresponding improvements in domestic governance, justice, education and healthcare. He described the current period as a rare opportunity to undertake comprehensive reforms that could place Pakistan on a path of sustained political stability and economic prosperity.
Concluding his address, Naqvi pledged his support for the business community, legal fraternity and other stakeholders pursuing institutional reforms. He also expressed willingness to engage separately with representatives from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan on proposals aimed at strengthening peace and stability, saying national unity and collective action were essential to securing Pakistan’s future.
