Naqvi calls for ‘system reset’ again, urges business communities support

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has called for a “reset” of the country’s system, arguing that some government departments and institutions had become obstacles to effective performance.

Speaking to members of the business community in Lahore on Friday, Naqvi urged business leaders to support the government’s efforts to address institutional shortcomings.

“As far as federal institutions are concerned, we do receive your complaints from time to time. It seems that some departments and institutions have become hurdles in the way of our performance. So whenever possible, we try our best to correct these matters,” he remarked.

The minister noted that the government had already addressed several issues but declined to elaborate, saying there were “many things” that had been achieved.

“But at this time, this country’s system needs to be reset, and we cannot do that until we have your support,” he reiterated, expressing hope that conditions would improve significantly once the process was undertaken.

Naqvi had previously sparked heated debate by calling for the creation of new administrative units in the country at the Pakistan Economic Summit in July.

During Friday’s meeting, he also highlighted Iran’s economic development despite decades of international sanctions, noting that visitors accompanying him to the neighbouring country had been surprised by its level of development.

He observed that people who had not visited Iran often viewed it as a war-torn country marked by widespread destruction.

“The people who visited Iran with me returned astonished after seeing the scale of development in a country that has been suffering under sanctions for many years,” he remarked.

Naqvi pointed to Iran’s automobile industry as an example of local manufacturing and stressed that Pakistan needed to pursue export-led growth while reducing its reliance on imports through domestic production.

“You name anything – their auto industry is manufacturing everything locally,” he noted, calling on businesses to submit proposals aimed at increasing exports and reducing imports.

The minister emphasised that Pakistan could draw lessons from Iran’s economic development.

“If they can do this despite sanctions for 30-40 years, we can do much more than them. And it is easy for us,” he maintained.