‘Just as a ventilator provides life support to a patient, Pakistan is currently on a ventilator—relying on the IMF’
Ahsan Iqbal, Federal Minister for Planning, Development & Special Initiatives
By Manzoor Shaikh
Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, unveiled the state-of-the-art assembly line for Alsons’ first Pakistan-made ICU ventilator in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Alsons Industries in Karachi today (January 6).
“The manufacturing of this biomedical device by Alsons embodies the spirit of Uran Pakistan. I declare Alsons Group the first champion of Uran Pakistan. We need an army of such champions,” he stated, emphasizing that every Pakistani should work with such skill, spirit, and desire.
He added that Made-in-Pakistan products are the pillar of Uran Pakistan, and people must support locally made products that are of high quality. Alsons Group has demonstrated this by producing the complex medical device, the AlnnoVent AVB-100.
Also read: Ahsan Iqbal to Launch Alsons Group’s Groundbreaking AlnnoVent Ventilator
He also highlighted that Pakistan and its neighbor India are two countries that will celebrate their 100 years of independence. “We should ask ourselves: What will be the narrative for 2047 for our neighbor, and how hopeful will we be about our own narrative?”
“We should learn from countries that have recently succeeded in developing themselves. They created an ecosystem built on peace, political stability, continuity of policies (for a decade), and continuous reforms. We did not follow this path, wasting the last 75 years. Now, if we pursue this with the ability of our people, Pakistan can achieve 50 years of progress in the next 22 years. For this objective, we need champions who can win new battles and bring innovation to our economy by introducing new technologies.”
“In today’s 5th industrial revolution, economies based on land and plots cannot thrive. Instead, economies built on innovation—like Alsons’—will succeed. Such economies will foster new enterprises and emerging technologies.”
Pakistan must overcome weaknesses in its economy, one of which is its inability to raise exports. “We know how to spend dollars, but we don’t know how to earn them,” he stated. “We need to achieve an export target of US$100 billion in the next 8 to 10 years. If we don’t make this effort, we will face serious challenges. But we have the potential to reach this target.”
“In the agriculture sector, there is tremendous potential to earn US$10 to 20 billion, and the industrial sector can also generate billions of dollars through exports. With the advantage of cheaper human resources, even though power costs are high here, we can still produce competitive products for the global market.”
Pakistan’s AlnnoVent AVB-100 ICU Ventilator Receives Regulatory Approval, Set for 2025 Market Launch
He emphasized that the foundation of Uran Pakistan lies in Pakistan-made products, and these should be associated with quality so that people trust and buy them. “Unfortunately, we have linked locally made products with low quality. We need to change this association and attach a sense of high quality to them, as Alsons has done.”
“When I heard about Alsons’ work, I did not hesitate for a second to realize that this is the practical interpretation of Uran Pakistan. This is what we want to show the world. If we can manufacture complex machines like ventilators, then we can do anything in Pakistan.”
He highlighted the importance of ventilators in the healthcare system: “Ventilators are essential for critical patients in ICUs, but there aren’t enough in hospitals. With local production, we will be able to produce our own machines, instead of relying on expensive imports, strengthening our healthcare system.”
He also drew an analogy between ventilators and Pakistan’s economic situation: “Just as a ventilator provides life support to a patient, Pakistan is currently on a ventilator—relying on the IMF. We need to take Pakistan off this ventilator and make it stand on its own feet. To do this, the key is to energize Pakistan’s export engine and strengthen its technological base, so that we can access the global market.”
“Through Alsons, I assure Pakistan’s private sector that it is the driver of the future. The government will facilitate you and support you. The private sector should follow Alsons’ example in terms of R&D and produce products that bring in foreign exchange through exports, as our future is tied to export-led growth.”
