Senator Aurangzeb stresses govt focus on private sector-led growth

October 01, 2026 (MLN): Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has reiterated the government's commitment to stabilizing and strengthening the economy through structural reforms, a wider tax net, a bigger role for the private sector and greater foreign investment.

Speaking at the Gong Ceremony, organized by Arif Habib Corporation, at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in Karachi, he said the government was taking all possible steps to help the private sector drive a growth-led economy, according to a press release issued.

He said the economy was on the right track because of the government's prudent policies, which had increased the number of taxpayers. Tax filers had risen to more than 5.7mn, from around 3.9mn a year earlier.

Speaking about the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Programme, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb said around Rs60 billion had been financed, while banks had approved an additional financing pipeline of approximately Rs340 billion awaiting disbursement.

He noted that the banking sector had taken the lead and emphasized that the supply side must now accelerate housing development. He highlighted the role of the private sector, including ABAD, in supporting the initiative and highlighted REITs as an important mechanism for mobilizing investment into housing and real estate.

The Finance Minister noted that the participation of major Pakistani business groups in the consortium for the PIA transaction, involving Mr. Arif Habib and Mr. Tabba, represented close to US$1.2 billion in collective investment and demonstrated the growing ability of local businesses to work together, create scale and pursue larger investment opportunities.

He also said Turkish interest was being seen in the power distribution companies (DISCOs) for the first time.

The Finance Minister highlighted the strong performance of the Pakistan Stock Exchange, noting that the KSE-100 Index had increased from around 67,000 points in March 2024 to around 170,000 points.

He also highlighted the significant broadening of investor participation, with 25,281 new investors added at PSX in September 2026, the highest ever in a single month, taking the total investor base to 656,218, more than double the 321,144 investors recorded in March 2024. He further noted that 11 companies had come to the market during FY26, the highest number in over two decades while another 5 IPOs have already been completed in the first quarter of FY27, reflecting continued momentum in capital raising and market development.

The Finance Minister reiterated that the Government’s role was to provide the requisite ecosystem for the private sector, including through engagement with US EXIM Bank, other export credit agencies and international partners, as well as through tariff discussions and negotiations. The private sector, he stressed, must lead investment, business expansion and economic growth.

He further emphasized the need to expand access to finance for SMEs, agriculture, housing and other underserved segments and reiterated the Government’s objective of moving Pakistan’s bilateral economic relationships from aid towards trade and investment. He also highlighted the importance of positioning Pakistan for the new economy by capturing emerging opportunities in digitalization, blockchain, Web 3.0 and other emerging technologies.

Referring to the Naya Nazimabad Apartments REIT, the Finance Minister noted that the offering received around eight times subscription during book-building and 4.3 times subscription in the general public offering, reflecting strong investor interest in well-structured and transparent investment opportunities.

He reaffirmed the Government’s resolve to deepen capital markets, strengthen investor confidence and create an enabling environment for private sector-led development moving from stability to investment, from investment to growth, and from growth to jobs and wider economic opportunity.

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