Date: 13th February 2026
Mr. Ikram Sehgal
Co-Chairman
Pathfinder Group
Respected Mr. Ikram Sehgal
السلام علیکم
Tonight, as I sit to write this letter, I feel a depth of emotion that only comes when life quietly completes a circle.
Being included in the Pathfinder Group delegation for Pakistan Pavilion Davos 2026 and the Europe visit was not merely an invitation — it was a transformative milestone. I am not the same man who was preparing for this journey just a month ago. In many ways, it represents a moment more than twenty years in the making. My two-decade professional journey has unfolded almost parallel to the remarkable legacy of the Pakistan Pavilion at Davos.
In 2002, during my Air University entrance examination, I wrote in my ambition essay that I wanted to become an engineer first — and then a successful entrepreneur. The very first lecture at Air University ignited in me a lifelong fascination for Guided Weapons. That spark shaped not only my academic path but my personality and career trajectory.
By 2005–06, while still in my final semesters, I launched my first startup — COSMOS — which culminated in a $100K exit in 2007. Around the same time, I discovered Defence Journal. Those pages did more than to inform me — they ignited something deeper. I wanted to build for Pakistan’s strategic strength. I even dreamt of writing for the journal one day. Years later my leadership professor during MBA once said to me, “Be careful what you wish for — it will come true.”
My passion for Guided Weapons took me to AWC, where I had the honor of being part of the team during the first successful test flight of the Shahpar UAV. A part of me still stands in the GNC Department at AWC — RA’AD on my right, Shahpar on my left — feeling the pride of contributing to something larger than myself.
In a surprising turn, I shifted from a single-axis gyro to falling in love with Tanks, joining HIT. In 2007, presenting the first locally engineered Fire Control System (FCS) of the Al-Zarrar Tank to President Musharraf was a defining moment. I felt I was arriving — it had all the thrill I needed. I have always struggled with zero-acceleration in life; when the thrill of growth faded, I moved on. In 2010, I joined MoD, where building devices was exciting for a few years — until 2014.
In 2014, through Hult Prize, clarity began to emerge. We won nationally and competed in Dubai in March 2015. When we lost the regional final, I found myself alone on 15th March 2015 at Emirates Mall – that day, I made the most important decision of my life: to take charge of my destiny. Mentally, I resigned from my job that very moment. Soon after, I received an MBA scholarship from Hult — the escape and transformation I had been seeking. I chose uncertainty over comfort. Growth over safety.
In 2016, founding Hult Prize Pakistan — the million-dollar startup challenge — became a defining moment of my career and became a startup movement in Pakistan. Over the past decade, we have engaged more than 50,000 students in entrepreneurship programs across 100+ universities in Pakistan. That journey brought me, through Professor Mark Turrell, to you Sir, when we stayed at 2C in Karachi in 2017.
Ironically, 2017 was also the year I was invited to the Pakistan Pavilion at Davos — yet I could not secure a visa. I remember the disappointment vividly. I told myself then: If it is meant to be, I will earn my place there one day.
In 2018, I was deeply honored by your endorsement for my nomination for Young Global Leader. It humbled me profoundly. Yet I have always believed titles are secondary — impact is primary. The NICAT chapter was one of the most defining experiences of my life. Building a consortium to bid for and shape a PKR 1 Billion aerospace center felt aligned with those Defence Journal dreams from 2006-07. Gathering institutions, nurturing deep-tech founders, building national capability — it was meaningful. When roadblocks came, they came hard. But adversity clarifies purpose.
Sir, meeting you in early 2024 for—Murree Innovation Center— and the journey that led to CITADEL — felt almost divinely orchestrated. I truly believe there are no accidents in life. Building CITADEL under your leadership is both exciting and deeply purposeful.
During the recent Davos and EU engagements, I felt like a child in a candy shop — absorbing conversations, studying systems, observing how global leaders think and build. In many of those rooms, I could see your decades of presence and credibility — the quiet consistency with which you have carried Pakistan’s narrative at Davos through Pathfinder Group. Traveling across Europe by bus, engaging in dialogue, reflecting — it was an experience beyond words. The entrepreneur in me even felt guilty at times — thinking we should be selling something across Europe during such journeys. For over twenty years, you have built and sustained the Pakistan Pavilion at Davos with consistency, credibility, and conviction. That is not an event — that is legacy. Your energy & passion even today is super inspiring – Masha Allah.
To now be included in the Pathfinder delegation for Davos 2026 under your leadership feels like destiny redeemed. The invitation I once missed in 2017 has returned — not as a hopeful attendee, but as a contributing builder. Sir, I am deeply grateful — not only for the opportunity, but for your trust. Over the years, I have come to understand something fundamental about myself:
I am born to build great companies. Not symbolic efforts. Not incremental projects. But institutions that create abundance — for my family, for our teams, and for Pakistan. When we recently organized the Sales Training with Abu Bakar Sahib on a $250M North America Sales Playbook, I was simultaneously drafting a $250M Playbook for our AI venture at CITADEL. I mean every word of it. I speak with intention. With discipline. With humility. And with conviction.
Thank you for believing in my journey.
Thank you for giving me a platform to serve.
Thank you for demonstrating what long-term commitment to Pakistan truly looks like.
For me, Davos 2026 is not a trip. It’s a transformational journey!
It is a responsibility.
Hazrat Fariduddin Masud Gunjshakar (R.T.A) says
Fareeda mainu maar ke munj kar, nīki kar ke kut
Bharay khazaanay Rab de, jo bhāvey so lut
Farid says:
Kill your ego, stay humble like the grass and pound me into nothingness.
For the treasures of God are overflowing — take whatever He wills for you.
With respect, loyalty, and gratitude,
Imran Jattala
Vice President
Pathfinder CITADEL
