In the noisy, fast-paced world, finding minds and spaces for deep, candid dialogue is rare. I was fortunate to share such exchanges with two remarkable mentors.

One was my father, Lt-Gen Prof M Afzal Najeeb, a cardiologist who healed hearts, an officer whose discipline shaped lives, and a thinker whose quiet philosophy illuminated every conversation. The other was Dr Waqar Masood Khan, a man of faith and resolve, whose work ethic and good grasp of economics turned policy conversations into both lessons and inspirations.

I write this not only in memory of them but also as an invitation: to the young to embrace dialogue as a discipline and for senior policymakers to preserve the space for such engagement.

What set my relationship with these two men apart was not simply the wisdom they carried, but the dialogue itself – rigorous, open-minded, grounded in theory yet tested by evidence and often deeply operational. With Prof Najeeb, conversations transcended the boundaries of medicine, religion, politics and philosophy. His discipline was never taught as rules but revealed through dialogue that turned habits into lessons.

With Dr. Waqar, exchanges stretched across Pakistan’s fiscal landscape into the complexities of global economic policy, sharpening the ability to marry technical mastery with pragmatic judgment. In both, critical back-and-forth was the rule, not the exception.

My understanding of the role of discussants was reinforced during my university years, particularly throughout my PhD journey. Presenting papers, defending arguments and inviting critique – those sessions taught me that ideas sharpen in dialogue. Cognitive science affirms this truth: groups that engage in open dialogue consistently produce better solutions than individuals working alone. Public life is no different. For the young, the lesson is clear: seek out voices that challenge you. For the experienced, protect the........

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