Professor Ahsan Iqbal Chaudhary (اﺣﺳــن اﻗﺑﺎل ﭼوﮨدری) is a prominent Pakistani political leader and the current Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives. He received his early education at PAF College Sargodha and Government College Lahore, before earning a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore in 1981. He later completed his MBA from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, in 1986. He has also attended executive education programmes at the Harvard Kennedy School, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and Oxford University.
Professor Ahsan Iqbal represents a rare combination in Pakistani politics, bringing together deep experience in academia, public policy, and corporate management. Over the past three decades, he has played a central role in shaping Pakistan’s long-term development agenda, including leading the formulation of national vision plans and overseeing the successful execution of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during his tenure as Minister for Planning and Development. He also served as Senior Adviser for the Digital Economy Project in Madinah Munawwarah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He is currently the Secretary General of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and a six-term Member of the National Assembly from the Narowal District. He has held several key ministerial portfolios across multiple federal cabinets. Professor Ahsan Iqbal comes from a distinguished political family. His maternal grandfather, Chaudhary Abdul Rahman Khan, served in the Punjab Legislative Assembly from Jullundur District before the 1947 independence, while his mother, Honorable Nisar Fatima, was elected to the National Assembly on women’s reserved seats in 1985.
In recognition of his contributions to national development, his alma mater, UET Lahore, has conferred upon him an Honorary Doctorate Degree. In recognition of his untiring efforts for the national defence and solidarity of Pakistan, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred upon him Nishan-e-Pakistan on August 14, 2025.
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