USD6.5bn PPP projects: Investment fund for overseas Pakistanis under study

Pakistan intends to widen its pipeline of 38 public-private partnership (PPP) projects, currently valued at USD 6.5 billion, as the government seeks private and overseas Pakistani money for large infrastructure schemes. According to Business Recorder, Ahad Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, has told authorities to speed up bankable PPP schemes in railways, highways, power, civic infrastructure and airports. He also wants them to study an investment fund or comparable vehicle that would let Overseas Pakistanis back national infrastructure without setting up businesses at home.

The proposed platform should offer transparent returns with safeguards, directing overseas savings toward rail and road schemes. Muhammad Ali, who advises the Prime Minister on privatisation, welcomed the idea and agreed it needs detailed examination before becoming a workable framework. On the ML-1 railway, multilateral and development partners remain the main financing route, with the Karachi-Rohri section already being taken up with the Asian Development Bank, while PPP options for other sections are held as a fallback.

The Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway has received approval from the Prime Minister's Office, and officials must show tangible preparatory progress within three months. Cheema also backed a PPP route for AMI smart metering, which could strengthen distribution companies and add value to the planned DISCO privatisation. Capital Development Authority proposals for the Gandhara Culture project and the Capital Hospital expansion are being assessed as PPP candidates.