ISLAMABAD: Pakistan rose to 95th place among the 139 economies of the world featured in the ‘Global Innovation Index 2026’ published by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), it emerged on Thursday.

Advancing in rank from 99th place in 2025, Pakistan also reclaimed its “overperformer” status for the fourth time, a status given to economies identified as performing above expectations for their level of economic development. It also held the status in 2022 and 2024.

The global index report showed that Pakistan performed better in innovation outputs than innovation inputs in 2026. This year, Pakistan ranked 121st in innovation inputs and 72nd in innovation outputs — both higher than last year.

“Innovation overperformance shows that innovation does not follow a straight line from income to results,” the report said.

“The 2026 overperformers show that economies can generate more innovation than expected for their level of development when they build on focused strengths.”

WIPO highlighted that Pakistan’s strengths were concentrated in the digital economy, particularly mobile app creation, ICT services exports, high-tech imports, and software spending. It added that the country’s “relatively strong” scientific production and university quality supported a developing digital economy.

In the 2026 index, Pakistan ranked 15th among the 36 lower middle-income group economies and eighth among the 11 economies in central and southern Asia. It did not rank among the top innovation clusters in any specific innovation pillar of the index (including ‘human capital and research’, ‘infrastructure’, etc).

Pakistan’s GII ranking (2020-2026) showed a rise over the past seven years, ranking 107th in 2020; 99th in 2021; 87th in 2022; 88th in 2023; 91st in 2024; and 99th in 2025.

Meanwhile, Switzerland, Sweden and the United States remained the world’s top three innovation economies, with Switzerland ranking first for a 16th consecutive year. The organisation noted, “In a period of major geopolitical and economic turbulence, the most striking feature about the top of the ranking is its stability.”

According to the report, the leading economies broadly remain the same as in 2025, with no new economy in the top 15 since last year, and Europe once more accounting for the largest share of the group with 14 economies out of 25 innovation leaders. Additionally, the Netherlands moved up to seventh place and Austria to 18th.

“The main signal at the innovation frontier this year is continuity, rather than the emergence of any single new entrant,” the report said.

Five Asian economies were also among the top 25: South Korea and Singapore in fourth and fifth place respectively; China remaining 10th — as the only middle-income economy among the innovation leaders — Japan at 12th and Hong Kong, China in 14th place.

The report highlighted that the presence of Asian economies was now an “established feature of the top ranks, rather than a development unique to this year”.

According to the report, the GII 2026 Innovation Tracker pointed to “continued but slower progress across the innovation cycle”. Most indicators advanced, with notable gains in scientific output, corporate research and development (R&D), battery costs and technology adoption; however, about three-quarters remained below the decade average.

Research effort nonetheless remained at a historic high, it pointed out, with global R&D intensity close to two per cent of GDP.

The WIPO report identified that the near-term environment was more demanding than the previous year: “Global growth of about 3.4pc in 2025 is expected to ease to around 3pc in 2026, held back by higher energy prices and elevated uncertainty, before recovering modestly in 2027.”

It highlighted that AI-related investment remained “the main engine on the upside”, with the largest hyper-scalers set to spend over $1 trillion on AI infrastructure across 2025 and 2026.

“This will be increasingly financed through debt and private credit, meaning a downward revision of expected AI returns could tighten financing conditions well beyond the sector,” it added.

The report noted that emerging economies, including Pakistan, could build on their standout strengths to improve their overall innovation performance.

ISLAMABAD: Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain on Monday announced that the government would maintain strategic wheat reserves of up to six million tonnes, asserting there would be no shortage of wheat in Pakistan this year as adequate arrangements were in place to meet the national requirements.

“This will help ensure uninterrupted supplies and protect the country against potential market disruptions,” the minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

His remarks came days after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the indicative price of Rs4,500 per maund of wheat for 2027, raising the price by Rs1,000 from last year.

Hussain noted that the government had fixed the indicative wheat support price at Rs4,500 per 40kg following extensive consultations with all provincial governments.

“The enhanced support price will not only maintain stability in the domestic wheat market but also enable the country to export wheat next year.”

The decision on the new indicative price reflected the approach aimed at safeguarding farmers’ interests, he contended.

The minister explained that imported wheat would also cost approximately Rs4,500 per maund, making domestic procurement a more suitable option. He reiterated that the government would prioritise Pakistani farmers rather than rely unnecessarily on imported wheat.

Providing details of wheat supplies, the minister disclosed that more than 1.3 million metric tonnes of wheat had been provided to the provinces from stocks of the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco).

He further stated that arrangements could be made to import up to 550,000 metric tonnes of wheat in accordance with provincial requirements and demand.

Expressing concern over recent fluctuations in wheat prices, Hussain described the prevailing price hike as artificial and manipulated by certain market elements.

He maintained that sufficient wheat stocks were available in the country and expressed confidence that prices would return to normal within the next few days.

The food security minister emphasised that the government was closely monitoring market developments and would take necessary measures to discourage artificial shortages, speculative practices and unjustified price increases.

The minister said that the federal government, under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, was taking comprehensive measures to strengthen agricultural productivity, improve market regulation and ensure the availability of essential food commodities across the country.

Discussing broader agricultural reforms, Hussain stated that the government had also formulated policies relating to seeds, olives and biotechnology to modernise Pakistan’s agricultural sector, improve crop productivity and encourage innovation.

He reiterated that ensuring the “availability of quality seeds, promoting modern agricultural technologies and improving regulatory mechanisms” were essential for increasing agricultural productivity and reducing farmers’ production costs.

“Agriculture remains the backbone of Pakistan’s economy. Sustainable agricultural development is indispensable for national economic stability, rural prosperity and long-term food security,” Hussain reaffirmed.

Endorsing the government’s pledge to export wheat next year, Pakistan Kissan Ittehad President Khalid Mahmood Khokhar appreciated the government’s decision to fix the indicative wheat price at Rs4500 per 40kg.

He expressed his satisfaction over the consultation process and acknowledged the importance of providing farmers with a predictable and reasonable price for their produce.

Last month, the Pakistan Kissan Ittehad demanded a Rs5,000 per 40kg support price for wheat, warning that farmers may not sow wheat for the next season if the government delays announcing crop policies.

The association had maintained that the farmers were unable to afford balanced fertiliser use because they were not recovering production costs.h a predictable and reasonable price for their produce.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s food supply remains sharply misaligned with national dietary guidelines, with major shortages of vegetables, fruits, roots and tubers, and pulses, while cereals and sugar remain in excess of dietary requirements, according to a Food and Agricul­ture Organisation (FAO) policy brief.

FAO’s new policy brief, “Food Supply for Healthy Diets in Pakistan,” says ensuring equitable access to diverse, nutritious, safe and affordable foods is a policy imperative, particularly as more than 60 per cent of Pakistanis cannot afford a healthy diet.

The situation contributes to high rates of malnutrition, while diet-related noncommunicable diseases are rising alongside persistent unde­rnutrition, the report says.

Pakistan adopted its food-based dietary guidelines in 2018, setting out evidence-based recommendations for the types and quantities of foods needed for healthy diets. But efforts to promote healthy eating cannot succeed unless nutritious foods are available and accessible, the brief says.

The assessment compared Pakistan’s annual food supply with population-level requirements across 10 dietary guideline food groups from 2010 to 2023, identifying surpluses and gaps.

Population growth is adding pressure. Pakistan’s population increased from 189.3 million in 2010 to 235.2m in 2023 and is projected to reach about 330m by 2050. Climate change and other challenges are expected to intensify demands on the agrifood system.

The report identifies persistent shortages in several nutritious food groups, particularly vegetables, roots and tubers, fruits, and legumes and pulses.

The estimated vegetable supply gap widened from 10.9m to 17.8m tonnes in 2010 to 13m to 21.6 m tonnes in 2023. For fruits, the gap increased from 1.9m to 10.3m tonnes to 3.9m to 14.3m tonnes over the same period.

However, milk, milk products, meat and eggs showed improvement. Fats and oils moved from a small gap in 2010 into the estimated required range in subsequent years.

To address the imbalance, FAO recommends coordinated fiscal and regulatory measures to realign agricultural production and trade priorities, improve food distribution, reduce post-harvest losses and food waste, and strengthen demand for healthy foods.

The brief calls for updating Pakistan’s dietary guidelines to reflect nutrition, health and environmental priorities, along with nutrition education and behaviour-change efforts. It recommends evidence-based taxes on beverages and foods high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, and front-of-package nutrition labelling to help consumers make informed choices.

It urges greater agricultural investment in vegetables, fruits, pulses, roots and tubers, with support for milk production in some regions. Other recommendations incl­ude incentives for food processors to meet quality standards and reduce salt, sugar and unhealthy fats.

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2026

• Says geopolitical fragmentation rises as major powers vie for influence
• Calls for stronger cooperation on debt, technology, development

ISLAMABAD: A new United Nations report has warned that the veto power of the five permanent members of the Security Council is one of the reasons multilateral mechanisms have been unable to prevent or stop the growing number of state-based conflicts.

The resulting paralysis has weakened decision-making processes, prompting the UN secretary-general to call for Security Council reforms, including an expansion of its membership to ensure fairer representation, particularly for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Asia-Pacific region. All these voices are underrepresented despite bearing much of the burden of peacemaking in an increasingly multipolar world.

The ‘World Social Report 2026’ says geopolitical fragmentation has considerably heightened global risks, with multiple centres of power competing for economic, military and political dominance.

According to the report, the number of countries exercising substantial influence in another country has risen from six in the 1970s to 34 today.

The rise in geopolitical fragmentation is also evident from the neighbouring countries relations indicator, which has substantially deteriorated since 2008, with 59 countries recording poor ties with neighbours in 2024-25, while only 19 improved.

The evolving global order demonstrates a change from two competing countries (like the bipolar world during the Cold War) to a multipolar economic, military and political power structure.

In theory, a more multipolar world could strengthen multilateralism, compared to a world order dominated by two competing countries or one superpower. However, the current geopolitical fragmentation and pursuit of strategic dominance risk undermining multilateral processes and global collective actions, giving rise to “minilateralism” or “coalitions of the willing”, the report says.

Accelerating climate change, rapid technological advancements and geopolitical fragmentation demand a new generation of development planning that places social inclusion at the centre of economic, digital and energy transformations.

The report, prepared by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), says the experience of multilateral cooperation demonstrates that collective action can mobilise resources, strengthen accountability, support social progress, and expand opportunities for development.

Renewed international cooperation is therefore essential to addressing structural constraints that exceed national capacities, including debt burdens, financing gaps, digital taxation challenges, technological divides and climate-related vulnerabilities.

The report suggests that a renewed multilateral agenda should focus on three priorities.

First, expanding fiscal space for social investment through stronger international tax cooperation, improved domestic resource mobilisation, and comprehensive and systematic support for developing countries to reduce the cost of capital and debt service burden.

Second, promoting wider access to technology, innovation and digital infrastructure so that developing countries can participate more effectively in the global economy.

Third, reforming global governance arrangements to make them more representative, inclusive and responsive to contemporary challenges, thereby restoring confidence in collective action and strengthening accountability to development outcomes.

Rising conflicts and geopolitical tensions are weakening international cooperation, disrupting trade and supply chains, and diverting financial and political resources away from development priorities.

Not surprisingly, military expenditures are also rising sharply: more than half of countries increased defence spending as a share of GDP between 2020 and 2024, and all nine nuclear-armed states have expanded their arsenals since 2022.

As multilateral coordination becomes more difficult, countries with limited fiscal and institutional capacity face growing obstacles in accessing the financing, technology and knowledge needed for digital transformation, climate action and poverty reduction.

In low-income and vulnerable economies affected by conflict and fragility, including least developed countries, these are not background conditions but direct constraints on both transformation and inclusion: conflict destroys productive assets, deters investment and weakens institutions, while displacement disrupts education, health services and livelihoods.

The report stresses that although economic, digital and energy transformations are reshaping the world at an extraordinary pace, billions of people remain excluded from the jobs, skills, services, infrastructure and social protections needed to benefit from these changes.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Undocumented Afghan nationals continue to be arrested by authorities, and a joint report of IOM and UNHCR says over the past one week, 517 Afghans were arrested from three districts of Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Out of all arrests and detentions during October 11 to 17, ACC holders and undocumented Afghans from Chagai, Peshawar and Karachi represented 97 per cent of the total arrests and detentions, while Proof of Regis­tration (POR) holders represented 3 per cent. About 56pc of the total reported arrests and detentions took place in Balochistan, 34pc in Pun­jab and 10pc in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The report says prior to 2023, there was no data collected on the arrest and detention of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders or undocumented Afghan nationals. Since January 2023, IOM has started to collect the data.

Findings of the report show cumulatively, from Sept 15, 2023 to Oct 17, 2026, about 2,744,068 Afghans have been sent back to their country from Pakistan.

Between Oct 11 and 17, UNHCR and IOM estimate 3,883 Afghans returned through the Torkham, Chaman and Bahramcha border crossing points to Afghanistan.

Between October 11 and 17, the nu­­mber of returns decreased by 10pc and deportations by 48pc — compared to the previous week of October 4 to 10, 2026 (4,295 returns including 961 deportations). Betw­een Oct 11 and 17, a total of 3,883 returns were reported, including 499 deportations. Compared to the previous week, dep­o­­rtations de­­c­­reased significantly, while returns de­­creased only moderately, report says.

Among those who returned bet­we­en Oct 11 and 17, most were un­­documented (83pc) followed by ACC holders (9pc) and PoR holders (8pc). Majority of the PoR returns were processed by UNHCR through the Volu­n­tary Repatriation Centres (VRCs).

Among those deported between Oct 11 and 17, most were undocumented (99pc) followed by PoR holders (1pc) and ACC holders (1pc). Since April 1, 2025, 1,890,035 Afghans returned, of which 237,387 (13pc) were deported.

During the period, fear of arrest remained the main reason for return among undocumented individuals and ACC holders (95pc) as well as for PoR holders (68pc).

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2026