Aurangzeb sees growing foreign investor interest

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb told members of the Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) on Thursday that steps are under way to draw more overseas capital into Pakistan. According to Dawn, he pointed to growing curiosity among foreign backers in extractives, information technology, farming, petroleum and refinery modernisation. He also flagged Turkish interest in buying into the privatisation of electricity distribution companies, alongside rising Saudi and other international participation across several industries.

Aurangzeb cautioned that overseas money arrives slowly and hinges on consistent policy, smooth facilitation and a favourable climate for business. He argued that growth must be driven by the private sector, with the government supplying the business environment and policy framework. Citing an official press release, he said the economy had moved from contraction and stabilisation toward growth, and that this growth needed to be sustained.

He cited the PIA transaction, in which major Pakistani business groups together mobilised close to $1.2 billion, as evidence of growing local investor capacity. Tax filers now total more than 5.7 million, up from about 3.9 million last year and roughly 1.8 to 1.9 million in 2022. Around Rs60bn has already been financed under the Prime Minister's Apna Ghar Programme, with banks approving a substantial further pipeline.