Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday presented a comprehensive six-point strategy for integrating China’s BeiDou Navigation Satellite System into Pakistan’s development plans, calling it a transformative tool for economic growth, trade, and technology-driven progress.
Addressing the BeiDou Summit in Zhuzhou, Hunan province, Iqbal underlined that Pakistan was the first foreign country to adopt BeiDou, which is already being used in aviation, agriculture, logistics, disaster management, and communications. He said that with deeper integration, BeiDou could generate new opportunities for employment, enhance the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and promote global cooperation.
The minister’s roadmap included linking BeiDou with Pakistan’s SBAS and Pak-GBAS systems, extending GBAS coverage nationwide, and establishing the National Center for GIS and Satellite Technology as a regional hub for BeiDou research. He also called for drafting a national Positioning, Navigation and Timing policy to sustain economic momentum, promoting public-private partnerships with China to strengthen Pakistan’s navigation industry, and advancing joint research, training, and talent development programs with Chinese experts.
“Collaborative research and training will help prepare a new generation of Pakistani scientists, enabling them to play a pivotal role in the country’s long-term development,” Iqbal remarked. He added that BeiDou’s integration could inject “new vitality” into port operations, digital trade corridors, aviation, and maritime safety.
Iqbal noted that CPEC was “no longer just about roads and bridges” but had “evolved into a technology corridor linked with space applications.” He stressed that this cooperation aligned with Pakistan’s commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and also supported the government’s “Uraan Pakistan” initiative, aimed at equipping youth with cutting-edge technology.
“Equipping Pakistan’s youth with modern technology is our foremost priority,” the minister emphasized, asserting that BeiDou would help lay the foundation for a future-ready digital economy.
