Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, addressed the 9th Edition of the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit 2026, themed “The Next Move,” through video link today.
The Finance Minister said Pakistan’s economic direction is anchored around five clear priorities: bringing permanence to macroeconomic stability while continuing to build shock-absorbing capacity on both the fiscal and external sides; transitioning from stabilization to sustainable and responsible growth driven increasingly by investment, productivity and exports; staying the course on key structural reforms to strengthen the foundations of the economy; moving decisively from aid towards trade and investment flows; and positioning Pakistan to participate more effectively in the New Economy, including emerging opportunities in blockchain and Web 3.0.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb said Pakistan’s economy is now in a better position, with the improvement continuing into the current fiscal year. He noted that large-scale manufacturing has shown improvement, while strong remittance inflows and continued expansion in IT exports are supporting the external account. He said the objective now is to build on this stability and move towards a more sustainable and productive growth model — shifting from consumption-driven cycles towards export-led and investment-driven growth.
The Finance Minister emphasized that bringing permanence to macroeconomic stability remains central to Pakistan’s economic future, with strong fiscal and external buffers necessary to manage domestic and external pressures. He said the Government remains focused on protecting the gains achieved while continuing the structural reforms necessary to strengthen productivity, competitiveness and private-sector-led growth.
Highlighting the transition from stabilization to sustainable and responsible growth, the Finance Minister said Pakistan’s growth trajectory must increasingly be driven by exports, investment and productive capacity. Measures are being taken to improve the competitiveness of traditional export sectors, while exporters continue to receive refinancing at 4.5 percent despite the policy rate standing at 11.5 percent.
Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb said staying the course on structural reforms remains essential to making economic stability durable. He highlighted the Government’s efforts to strengthen fiscal management and improve the efficiency of public resources, noting that Rs8.2 trillion had been budgeted for debt servicing during the last fiscal year, while actual expenditure remained at Rs6.9 trillion.
The Finance Minister said Pakistan is also deliberately moving away from aid towards trade and investment, with greater emphasis on deepening commercial relationships with bilateral partners, attracting private capital and expanding Pakistan’s integration with regional and global markets.
In this context, he highlighted Pakistan’s recent return to international capital markets through the issuance of US$3 billion in international bonds after a four-year gap. He said investor orders were nearly twice the amount sought, with particularly strong participation from Asian investors. He noted that the quality and diversity of the investor base were as important as the size of the order book, with growing Asian participation providing an important signal of international investor confidence in Pakistan.
The Finance Minister noted that Pakistan’s GDP grew by around 3.7 percent during the last fiscal year, while economic activity has remained positive in the current fiscal year. He also noted that the State Bank of Pakistan has projected GDP growth in the range of 3.5 to 4.5 percent for the current fiscal year.
Looking ahead, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb emphasized the importance of positioning Pakistan for the New Economy, including emerging opportunities around digitalization, blockchain and Web 3.0. He said Pakistan must combine its young and increasingly technology-enabled talent base with an enabling policy and investment environment to participate in higher-value segments of the global economy.
The Finance Minister emphasized that Pakistan must make full use of the opportunities available within the country while maintaining a clear and consistent economic direction: permanent macroeconomic stability, sustainable and responsible growth, continued structural reforms, greater trade and investment flows, and participation in the New Economy.
He thanked the organizers for arranging the summit and providing a platform for dialogue on Pakistan’s economic priorities and future growth opportunities.
*-*-*-*-*
