Islamabad (GNP): The three-day YES Pakistan: Young CEOs, Entrepreneurs & Innovators Summit, Expo & Awards 2026, concluded at Bahria University Islamabad, bringing together policymakers, university leaders, industry representatives, financial institutions, entrepreneurs, and students to promote entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable economic development in Pakistan.
Federal Minister for Investment and Chairman of the Board of Investment (BOI), Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, graced the concluding ceremony as Chief Guest. In his address, he emphasised the importance of empowering young people through entrepreneurship, innovation, and opportunities to establish their own businesses.
He appreciated the initiative for bringing academia, industry, government, and aspiring entrepreneurs together on a common platform and stressed that such events should be organised more frequently to nurture entrepreneurial talent, encourage innovative thinking, and contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth.
The concluding day featured a keynote address by Prof. Dr. Javaid Laghari, Former Chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Convenor of the HEC Task Force on Business Incubation Centres (BICs). His address, titled “The CEO Mindset: Think, Lead & Win Like a Founder,” highlighted the leadership mindset, strategic thinking, and entrepreneurial approach required to identify opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and build successful ventures.
Murtaza Noor, Founder of YES Pakistan, outlined the initiative’s overall objectives and presented a summary of the three-day activities. He highlighted YES Pakistan’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship among young people, strengthening university–industry collaboration, connecting startups with investors and business leaders, supporting business incubation, and providing practical opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs.
The programme included entrepreneurial workshops, pitching activities, leadership dialogues, panel discussions, an innovation expo, and the YES Pakistan Awards.
The concluding day featured Panel Discussion IV, “Bridging Generations: An Intergenerational Dialogue on Entrepreneurial Challenges & Opportunities,” with Taha Sawar, Dr. Awais Mahmood, Wasim Irshad, CEO of Tangent Tech and President of the Bahria Alumni Association, and Ibrahim Saeed, CEO of Techma Labs.
The discussion explored entrepreneurial challenges, emerging opportunities, mentorship, and the importance of collaboration between experienced business leaders and the younger generation.
Another major session, “Bridging Academia, Finance & Industry: Building an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem for Pakistan,” brought together Sardar Masood Khan, former President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir; Rizwan Shamsi, Chief Manager, State Bank of Pakistan, Rawalpindi; Prof. Dr. Habib Bokhari, Member R&D, HEC; Dr. Afsheen Zeeshan, social entrepreneur and educationist; Dr. Hafiz Aziz ur Rehman, Chairman, Intellectual Property Organization of Pakistan; and Air Marshal (Retd.) Abdul Moeed Khan, HI(M), Vice Chancellor of Air University. The dialogue highlighted the importance of access to finance, research commercialisation, intellectual property protection, and stronger partnerships among universities, industry, and financial institutions.
A major attraction of YES 2026 was its innovation expo featuring more than 30 stalls, showcasing innovative ideas, projects, products, and entrepreneurial ventures. Universities and institutions from across Pakistan, including representation from Gilgit-Baltistan, participated in the exhibition. Air University, Riphah International University, Aror University, and other institutions contributed to the vibrant platform, encouraging networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among emerging entrepreneurs.
The three-day event also provided opportunities for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to strengthen their business skills, present innovative ideas, engage with industry professionals, and learn from experienced leaders. The YES Pakistan Awards further recognised entrepreneurial achievement and reinforced the importance of innovation and enterprise development.
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The concluding ceremony featured prize distribution, souvenirs, and closing remarks.
Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
