Category: Engineering Bodies

PAKISTAN

Marked as one of the critical initiatives in the aftermath of the Gul Plaza fire incident in Karachi, the Association of Consulting Engineers Pakistan (ACEP) organized a comprehensive conference on Friday (13 February) to identify gaps in emergency preparedness and building safety regulations.

The conference exposed grey areas in fire prevention mechanisms and discussed weaknesses in enforcement of laws, lack of required infrastructure in buildings, and the urgent need to make structures safe for human habitation.

Engr. Waseem Asghar, President ACEP

The event was attended by Sindh Minister for Information Sharjeel Inam Memon, a civil engineer by education from Mehran University of Engineering & Technology, Jamshoro, and Barr. Murtaza Wahab, Mayor of Karachi, who faced significant challenges in the wake of the Gul Plaza fire incident.

The moot was organized in collaboration with the Institution of Engineers Pakistan (IEP), FIDIC, and several other professional bodies. A large number of engineers from the public and private sectors, corporate professionals, academicians, and constructors participated to contribute recommendations aimed at improving Karachi’s building safety standards and engaging stakeholders as well as the general public in reform efforts. Pakistan’s first woman architect, Yasmeen Lari, also attended as a special guest.

Engr. Wasif Nazar, Secretary ACEP

The organizers arranged three comprehensive panel discussions along with expert presentations involving professionals from industry, engineering institutions, and academia. The discussions culminated in a set of recommendations, the outlines of which were presented by Dr. Sarosh Hashmat Lodi, former Vice Chancellor of NED University, Karachi.

Dr. Lodi emphasized that empowering local governments is essential for effective implementation of safety measures. He called for mandatory third-party validation of building safety compliance and stressed replacing the prevailing “NOC culture” with a “culture of responsibility.”

He highlighted the importance of urban planning and establishing a well-networked firefighting system across Karachi. Among the key recommendations were dedicated fire-extinguishing vehicles for specific zones, emergency water reservoirs, strengthening fire stations and civil defence mechanisms, addressing risks in dense markets and the informal economy, eliminating illegal wiring, and making fire safety systems, drills, and training mandatory.

He also stressed regular audits of high-rise buildings to ensure residential safety, improved safety mechanisms in industrial and logistics zones, and the development of localized fire safety plans. He expressed confidence that if implementation begins immediately, significant improvements could be achieved within the next five years.

Speaking on the occasion, Waseem Asghar, President, ACEP said the recommendations would be forwarded to competent forums. He stressed that laws must be reviewed in light of technological advancements and market demands, noting that many existing regulations have become obsolete. He described the Gul Plaza tragedy as yet another lesson compelling the city to move forward with serious reforms, particularly in older buildings and aging infrastructure.

Addressing the gathering, Sharjeel Inam Memon termed the issue extremely important and said society has developed a tendency to avoid discussing core issues. “This is not a political issue; it is a matter of life and death for citizens,” he remarked.

He acknowledged that in incidents like the Gul Plaza fire, the government bears primary responsibility, though accountability often shifts among stakeholders. “The government carries the greatest responsibility,” he said.

Memon highlighted shortcomings in the entire construction process from soil testing and structural design to plumbing and electrification and stressed that all stakeholders share responsibility. He admitted that there were gaps in enforcement and regulatory compliance and said the government had identified shortcomings following the Gul Plaza incident.

He further stated that corrective measures must be undertaken collectively, although primary responsibility rests with the government. After the tragedy, the government engaged chambers of commerce and industry organizations, assigning them the task of conducting safety audits within their respective sectors to ensure compliance with safety requirements.

The conference concluded with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to strengthen enforcement, modernize regulations, and improve emergency preparedness to prevent similar tragedies in the future. – ER Report

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PAKISTAN

By Manzoor Shaikh

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal has announced a five-year program under which 10,000 engineers will be trained annually on PSDP project sites for a year, with a monthly stipend of Rs50,000. The initiative, part of the government’s youth-focused program, aims to benefit 50,000 engineers in total, with funding drawn from development program contingencies.

The minister has compared the initiative to the house job system for doctors, arguing that it will improve employability, reduce unemployment, and discourage outward migration. While the announcement signals recognition of the engineering employment crisis, experts argue that training without economic restructuring risks becoming symbolic rather than transformational.

Pakistan’s Economic Context: Why Numbers Matter
Any serious assessment of this program must begin with Pakistan’s economic fundamentals, because engineering demand is not driven by population size alone but by industrial depth and GDP composition.

Pakistan is the world’s fifth most populous country, yet remains under-industrialized. Manufacturing contributes only around 13 percent of GDP, while growth is largely driven by consumption, remittances, agriculture, and real estate, sectors that generate limited demand for engineers.

Pakistan at a glance

Indicator	Pakistan
Population	240 million
GDP (nominal)	$US 340–360 billion
Average GDP growth	3–4 percent
Manufacturing share of GDP	13 percent
Engineering exports	Negligible

This context explains why engineering unemployment persists despite a steady output of graduates.

Engineering Density: How Pakistan Compares Regionally

One commonly used global benchmark is engineers per 10,000 population, which reflects how deeply engineering is embedded in an economy. Countries with strong manufacturing, technology, and export sectors consistently show higher engineering density.

Pakistan’s ratio remains significantly lower than its regional peers—not because it produces fewer graduates, but because industry does not absorb them.

Engineers per 10,000 population:This gap reflects differences in economic structure, not education systems.

Country	Engineers / 10,000
Malaysia	45–50
India	25–30
Pakistan	8–10

This gap reflects differences in economic structure, not education systems.

Pakistan, India, and Malaysia: Similar Size, Very Different Outcomes

A comparison with India and Malaysia further highlights the structural issue. Malaysia’s economy is only modestly larger than Pakistan’s in nominal terms, yet it sustains a far higher number of engineers due to export-led industrialization and technology-intensive growth.

Macro comparison:

Indicator	Pakistan	India	Malaysia
Population	240m	1.43bn	34m
GDP (nominal)	$US 350bn	$US 3.7tn	$US 440bn
Manufacturing (percent of GDP)	13 percent	17–18 percent	23–25 percent
Engineering exports	Negligible	$US 100bn+	$US 40bn+
Engineers per 10,000	8–10	25–30	45–50

The lesson is clear: engineering employment follows industrialization, not training programs alone.

GDP Growth Quality: Why Engineers Remain Underutilized
Experts stress that not all GDP growth creates engineering jobs. Growth driven by agriculture, consumption, or remittances produces limited technical demand, whereas growth driven by manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, and technology is engineering-intensive.
This distinction explains why Pakistan experiences periods of GDP growth without corresponding improvements in engineering employment.

The Engineer–GDP Demand Relationship
Planners often use an Engineering Intensity Factor (EIF) to estimate how many engineers an economy can realistically absorb per $US 1 billion of GDP.

Engineering Intensity Factor benchmarks:

Economy Type	Engineers per $US 1 bn GDP
Low-industrial	700–900
Mid-industrial	1,200–1,500
Export-led / high-tech	1,600–2,000

Applying this framework to Pakistan

GDP $US 350 billion
Current EIF 700
Estimated demand 245,000 engineers

This figure closely matches the number of engineers currently absorbed in core sectors, explaining why additional graduates face underemployment.

Sectoral Distribution: Where Engineers Actually Work

Another revealing comparison is how engineers are distributed across sectors. In Pakistan, most engineers are confined to execution-heavy construction roles, while design, automation, R&D, and technology remain underdeveloped.

Share of engineers by sector:

Sector	Pakistan	India	Malaysia
Manufacturing	25 Percent	40 Percent	45 Percent
Construction & infrastructure	35 Percent	25 Percent	20 Percent
Energy & utilities	15 Percent	15 Percent	15 Percent
Technology & automation	5 Percent	15 Percent	20 Percent
R&D & design	<2 Percent	10 Percent	1 Percent

This imbalance limits productivity, innovation, and export potential.

Why the “House Job” Analogy Is Problematic
Experts argue that equating the proposed program with doctors’ house jobs overlooks key differences:
– Medical house jobs operate within a regulated national healthcare system
– Engineering projects are contractor-driven, often lump-sum, cost-focused, and short-term
– Engineering competence develops through long-term industrial engagement, not brief site exposure
– Without permanent roles, six-month/one year placements risk becoming stopgap measures rather than career pathways.

Persistent Concerns Raised by the Engineering Community
Key concerns include:
– Political motivation and past failures of similar program
– Lack of transparency and merit-based selection
– Temporary nature with no guaranteed absorption
– Absence of credible national data on engineering unemployment
– Ignoring private-sector contracting practices
– Global mobility of engineers cannot be restricted
– Rapid disruption from AI and emerging technologies
– Weak linkage between economic growth and engineering demand

The Core Issue Remains Economic Structure
The central conclusion emerging from expert analysis is unequivocal:
Pakistan does not have too many engineers—it has too little engineering-driven growth.
Until manufacturing rises toward 20 Percent of GDP, engineering exports expand meaningfully, and growth becomes industry-and technology-led, training initiatives alone will not resolve unemployment.

Necessary, But Not Sufficient

The government’s training program may offer short-term exposure and financial relief, but without structural economic reform, it risks joining a long list of well-intentioned but ineffective interventions.

As global experience shows, skills follow growth, not the other way around. For Pakistan’s engineers, sustainable employment will come not from temporary placements, but from an economy that finally begins to grow through engineering itself.

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PAKISTAN – Industry-Academia Collaboration

The company will intake 15 Graduate Engineer Trainees, to be shortlisted by the council from within Sindh

Pakistan Cables Ltd. has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) for the Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) Placement Program on 9th January 2026, at PC Hotel.

GET is an initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and professional practice by placing fresh engineering graduates with industry partners for five months of structured training.

As part of this program, Pakistan Cables will intake 15 Graduate Engineer Trainees, to be shortlisted by PEC from within Sindh in line with the Company’s operational requirements and location.

This reflects the Company’s’ continued commitment to supporting STEAM education and youth empowerment in Pakistan.

About Pakistan Cables Ltd.
Founded in 1953, Pakistan Cables is the premier and most reputable wires and cables manufacturer in Pakistan. Being the first and oldest wires and cables manufacturer listed on the PSX since 1955, it has the largest geographical footprint in Pakistan, with presence in over 200 cities and towns. It is also a member company of the Amir S. Chinoy group. It is ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 certified, and various cables type tested by KEMA, Netherlands. The Company’s science-based emission reduction targets are validated and approved by SBTi. It is also a signatory of the UN Global Compact and net-zero commitment. To learn more about Pakistan Cables Ltd. – PR

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PAKISTAN-CHINA

The Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and China Energy International Group Company Limited – Pakistan Branch (CEEC) have entered into a landmark strategic partnership aimed at integrating Pakistani engineers into some of the world’s largest infrastructure and energy projects.

The high-impact Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Energy China Office in Islamabad, marking a major milestone in international engineering cooperation and global workforce mobility.

Under the agreement, PEC-registered Pakistani engineers will gain structured access to Energy China’s mega projects spanning power generation, renewable energy, hydropower, transmission networks, transport infrastructure, and investment ventures across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The initiative is expected to create direct overseas employment opportunities while enabling advanced skills transfer and global exposure for Pakistan’s engineering workforce.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Energy China Managing Director Mr. Wang Hui Hua highlighted CEEC’s extensive global footprint, with over 140,000 professionals operating in 147 countries. He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to recruiting Pakistani engineers, collaborating with local contractors, and embedding corporate social responsibility within China’s investments in Pakistan.

PEC Chairman Engr. Waseem Nazir described the MoU as a “paradigm shift” for Pakistan’s engineering sector. He announced the establishment of a dedicated China Desk at PEC to ensure sustained engagement, transparent placement mechanisms, and capacity-building collaboration with Chinese state-owned enterprises. He added that 2026 would be remembered as a turning point when Pakistani engineers transitioned from domestic opportunities to global engineering leadership.

The agreement positions Pakistan as a strategic engineering talent hub for one of the world’s largest infrastructure developers, opening a new chapter of high-value, technology-driven, and globally integrated career pathways for Pakistani engineers. – ER News Desk

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