Islamabad, May 10, 2026(Kamran Raja):The Global Shapers Community Pakistan, in collaboration with Pathfinder CITADEL, organized an inspiring “Meet the Leader” session featuring renowned entrepreneur and Co-Chairman of the Pathfinder Group, Ikram Sehgal, at AmaaniBagh, Angoori, Islamabad.
Held under the theme “Beyond Geography Building Legacy Through Resilience, Enterprise, and Hope,” the day-long programme brought together more than 100 university students and approximately 45 Global Shapers from hubs across Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Wah Cantt, Peshawar, and Lahore.
The event opened with remarks by Shehrbano Jamali Niazi, who highlighted the growing impact and outreach of the Global Shapers Community across Pakistan, particularly the Islamabad Hub’s initiatives aimed at youth engagement and leadership development.
Hosted by Mahrukh Faraz of Global Shapers Islamabad, the central feature of the programme was a 90-minute interactive conversation between Ikram Sehgal and Maaz Ali Nadeem, Global Shaper and Co-Founder & CEO of VECTOR AI. The session was followed by an engaging Q&A with participants.
During the discussion, Mr. Sehgal reflected on his extraordinary personal and professional journey from serving in the 1971 war and becoming the first Pakistani prisoner of war to escape from an Indian POW camp, to founding the Pathfinder Group in 1977, which today employs more than 12,000 people across over 75 cities nationwide.
He also spoke about his longstanding association with the World Economic Forum and his role in hosting the Pakistan Breakfast at Davos for more than two decades. Sharing lessons from his life and entrepreneurial journey, Mr. Sehgal emphasized resilience, self-reliance, and unwavering faith in Allah as the guiding principles behind his success.
Describing himself as merely a “Zariya” a means for creating positive change he paid tribute to the lasting influence of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his father, Abdul Majeed Sehgal.
At the conclusion of the session, Global Shapers Muneeb Maqbool, Rania Rajput (Curator, Islamabad Hub), and Hourab Din (Curator, Rawalpindi Hub) presented commemorative shields to Ikram Sehgal and Air Commodore (Retd) Farhan Ahmed in recognition of their contributions.
The programme also featured presentations by Brigadier (Retd) Mujahid Alam, CEO of the Pathfinder Enhanced Harmony Division (EHD), and Imran Jattala, Vice President of Pathfinder CITADEL, who introduced participants to initiatives focused on innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership development.
A key highlight of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Global Shapers Community Pakistan and Pathfinder CITADEL. The agreement was signed by Muneeb Maqbool, Community Champion for Pakistan and Afghanistan, and Air Commodore (Retd) Farhan Ahmed, Project Director of CITADEL, in the presence of senior leadership from the Pathfinder Group, including Ikram Sehgal, Gen (Retd) Shakeel Hussain, AVM (Retd) Asad Ikram, Air Commodore (Retd) Khalid Banuri, Imran Jattala, and Shakeel Ahmed.
The event concluded with a patriotic Qawwali performance by Numan Haider and his Qawwal group, followed by a networking lunch, fostering collaboration and engagement among youth leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals from across the country.