GLOBAL SHAPERS PAKISTAN HOSTS “MEET THE LEADER” SESSION WITH IKRAM SEHGAL AND SIGNS MoU WITH CITADEL FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
ISLAMABAD : Under the theme “Beyond Geography — Building Legacy Through Resilience, Enterprise, and Hope,” the Global Shapers Community Pakistan, in partnership with Pathfinder CITADEL, hosted a “Meet the Leader” session with Ikram Sehgal, Co-Chairman of the Pathfinder Group, at AmaaniBagh.
The day-long programme brought together more than 100 university students and nearly 45 Global Shapers from hubs across Pakistan, including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Wah Cantt, Peshawar, and Lahore, for a landmark session featuring an intimate dialogue with one of the country’s enduring entrepreneurs.
Shehrbano Jamali Niazi delivered an overview of the scale and impact of the community’s work across Pakistan and the Islamabad Hub.
Hosted by Mahrukh Faraz under the theme “Beyond Geography,” the centrepiece of the event was a 90-minute moderated conversation between Ikram Sehgal and Maaz Ali Nadeem, Global Shaper and Co-Founder & CEO of VECTOR AI, followed by an interactive Q&A session with participants.
The discussion revolved around Mr Sehgal’s extraordinary journey, from his service in the 1971 war — where he became the first Pakistani prisoner of war to escape from an Indian POW camp — to founding the Pathfinder Group in 1977, which today employs over 12,000 people across more than 75 cities in Pakistan.
The conversation also highlighted Ikram Sehgal’s association with the World Economic Forum, where he has hosted the Pakistan Breakfast at Davos for over 20 years, along with insights into the personal philosophy that has sustained him through five decades of enterprise.
During the session, Mr Sehgal shared the highs and lows of his military career and recalled the moment he resolved never to work under anyone again. He emphasized his commitment to his employees and attributed his success to tawakkul (trust in God) and a strong connection to divinity, describing himself as a “Zariya” — a vessel for good.
He also paid tribute to Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his father, Abdul Majeed Sehgal, for their influence on his life.
Global Shapers Muneeb Maqbool, Rania Rajput, and Hourab Din presented thank-you shields to Ikram Sehgal and Farhan Ahmed.
The programme also featured an overview of the Pathfinder Enhanced Harmony Division (EHD) by Mujahid Alam, and an introduction to the Pathfinder Center of Innovation, Technological Advancement, Digital Entrepreneurs and Leadership (CITADEL) by Imran Jattala.
In a landmark institutional development, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Muneeb Maqbool, Community Champion for Pakistan and Afghanistan of the Global Shapers Community, and Air Cdre (Retd) Farhan Ahmed, Project Director CITADEL.
The MoU signing ceremony took place in the presence of Pathfinder Group leadership, including Ikram Sehgal, Shakeel Hussain, Asad Ikram, Khalid Banuri, Imran Jattala, and Shakeel Ahmed.
The event concluded with a live patriotic Qawali performance by Numan Haider and his Qawal group, followed by a networking lunch.
