Speakers at a seminar held in Islamabad today [Sunday] emphasized that Pakistan's future depends on anticipating emerging trends, building institutional capacity and converting knowledge into workable solutions.

The seminar was organized by the Institute of Policy Studies on the occasion of the annual meeting of the National Advisory Council of the Institute.

During the meeting, scholars, policymakers, diplomats, technocrats and practitioners expressed their views on various issues.

The speakers argued that Pakistan's ability to address its complex national and international challenges depends on stronger institutions, improved governance, evidence-based policies and effective implementation.

They stressed the need for bringing governance closer to citizens, strengthening metropolitan and local institutions and establishing transparent mechanisms for decision-making and service delivery.

They also called for improved water and irrigation management, better crop planning, support for farmers, regulation of agricultural inputs, action against smuggling and more efficient value chains.

On the rapidly evolving landscape of IT and AI, the participants called for a coherent national AI roadmap, stronger data architecture, interoperable public digital infrastructure, affordable computing and practical ethical frameworks suited to Pakistan's needs to meet global challenges.