Aurangzeb says successful Eurobond launch reflects investors’ trust

Business Recorder reported that Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb presided over the second session of a panel tasked with drafting a National Private Equity Policy Framework on Thursday. The panel opened by praising Pakistan's USD 3 billion two-part Eurobond placement, which drew broad and varied interest from overseas investors. Aurangzeb said the response from global markets signalled rising confidence in the economy's direction.

Work has been divided into regulatory, tax and institutional investment streams, which the minister wants merged into one practical framework. Discussion covered measures the State Bank of Pakistan is weighing to ease institutional participation, exits and repatriation, along with accounting treatment under banking and IFRS rules. Participants also examined tax neutrality for pooling vehicles, capital gains on private company deals and safeguards against undervaluation.

Aurangzeb stressed that private equity can channel patient capital into productive sectors, and asked that the framework focus on real investment rather than only new financial structures. Committee members agreed that the regulatory, tax and legal streams will keep coordinating, while the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan advances its own work on the framework. The meeting closed with agreement on priority recommendations and a push to move from policy design to implementation.