PM Shehbaz meets global financial firms in London, invites them to invest and expand services in Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held talks with senior figures from several major international banks and investment houses in London on Tuesday, according to Dawn. He asked them to put money into Pakistan and widen their operations there. The meetings covered Barclays, JP Morgan, Citi, BlackRock and Rothschild & Co, with officials from each firm taking part.

The premier also became the first head of government from Pakistan to open a trading session at the London Stock Exchange, his office said. During the event he formally launched the $3 billion sovereign bond, a dual-tranche Eurobond sold earlier this month. He described the country's improved macroeconomic indicators as promising and argued that the Middle East conflict had kept Pakistan from growing like other emerging economies.

Standard Chartered Bank also featured in the day's engagements, as Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met its chief executive, Bill Winters, in London. According to the finance ministry, the two discussed tokenisation, international Sukuk and other financing options, as well as possible capital market deals linked to privatisation. Aurangzeb thanked the bank for its continued support, and the ministry said its investor network could help raise Pakistan's market visibility.