By FT Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday chaired a high-level meeting on promoting private investment and achieving sustainable economic growth, directing the relevant authorities to present, at the earliest, a comprehensive roadmap for the establishment of a Private Equity Fund aimed at increasing investment and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Prime Minister also instructed officials to prepare a detailed strategy for the development of Pakistan’s public equity market and private equity funds to ensure the availability of investment capital and create a conducive environment for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI).
Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that expanding private investment is essential for Pakistan’s long-term economic growth. He noted that private equity funds can serve as a key catalyst for increasing investment, expanding businesses, and generating employment opportunities across the country.
He emphasized that sectors such as minerals, agriculture, livestock, energy, information technology (IT), and other productive industries have the potential to become major drivers of Pakistan’s economic growth. He added that a well-developed public equity market could play a vital role in mobilizing investment for these sectors.
The Prime Minister observed that investment financing through the banking sector remains limited, making it imperative to promote alternative sources of capital. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening the economy through private sector-led investment, industrial growth, and export expansion, laying the foundation for sustainable and long-term economic development.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar, and senior officials from relevant ministries and institutions.
