Islamabad, September 19,2026: Islamabad has all the ingredients to become far more than Pakistan’s administrative capital, it can emerge as a regional centre of investment, innovation, technology and international commerce, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Sardar Tahir Mehmood said on Saturday, calling for a bold economic vision to transform the federal capital’s strategic advantages into tangible business and investment opportunities.
Speaking to visiting business leaders at the Chamber House, he said Islamabad’s diplomatic community, highly educated workforce, institutional strength, modern infrastructure and international exposure give the city a distinctive platform to connect Pakistan with global markets. Yet, he noted, these advantages have not been brought together under a unified economic strategy capable of attracting international businesses, investment, technology and high-value services.
“Islamabad has the location, the talent, the institutions and the international connectivity; what it needs now is an economic vision that brings these strengths together and turns them into opportunity, investment and growth,” Sardar Tahir Mehmood said.
He proposed the formulation of a long-term Islamabad Economic Master Plan to establish a clear economic identity for the capital, with priority sectors including technology and IT-enabled services, digital trade, investment, business tourism, international conferences, education, healthcare, financial services and other knowledge-intensive industries. He said such a strategy could position Islamabad as a competitive regional business destination while creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship, employment and exports.
The ICCI President said Islamabad’s technology ecosystem and educated youth should be treated as strategic economic assets. He called for stronger IT and technology centres, world-class digital infrastructure, closer university-industry collaboration and an enabling regulatory environment to attract global technology companies, research institutions, startups and international business-service centres. He said the objective should be to enable businesses established in Islamabad to compete not only within Pakistan but in international markets.
He also called for business tourism and economic diplomacy to become integral components of the capital’s growth strategy. Islamabad’s diplomatic presence, scenic character and institutional significance could support major international conferences, exhibitions, investment forums and trade events, while diplomatic missions could help develop B2B partnerships and investment linkages with Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other emerging markets.
Sardar Tahir Mehmood said Islamabad’s economic transformation would also require modern, investor-friendly commercial infrastructure, including efficient parking and mobility systems, pedestrian facilities, fire and safety standards, waste management and predictable regulatory procedures. He said ICCI was ready to work with the federal government, CDA, local administration, diplomatic missions, universities and the private sector to develop a measurable economic roadmap for Islamabad.
“The capital of Pakistan should also be a capital of opportunity. Islamabad must become a city where global businesses find a gateway, investors find confidence, entrepreneurs find space to grow and innovation finds a pathway to markets. This is the new economic identity Islamabad should aspire to build,” he concluded.
