Report: Hurish Shah /FT
ISLAMABAD –The 9th edition of the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit (LIIBS) 2026, themed “The Next Move,” concluded in Islamabad with policymakers, global business leaders and thought leaders calling for decisive action to transform Pakistan’s economic potential into sustainable and productive growth.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, in his keynote address, said Pakistan recorded around 3.7 percent GDP growth during the last fiscal year, with economic momentum continuing into the current fiscal year. He said large-scale manufacturing had shown improvement, while strong remittances and IT exports were supporting the external account.
He stressed the need to move beyond a consumption-led growth model and build an economy based on sustainable and productive growth.
Federal Minister and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali said Pakistan must move from being merely a consumer of technology to becoming a creator. He emphasized the need for productive businesses capable of competing globally, stronger education, greater workforce participation and skills development for young people in manufacturing, defence and emerging technologies.
Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani highlighted the importance of structural reforms, better governance and coordination between federal and provincial governments. He also called for increased exports, greater private-sector participation in policymaking and improved access to finance for agriculture and small and medium enterprises.
Former Caretaker Prime Minister Senator Anwar-ul-Haq Kakar said Pakistan’s security challenges must be addressed, but emphasized that the deeper issue was structural. He called for greater focus on the underlying economic constraints rather than attributing weak growth solely to terrorism.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Senator Dr Musadik Malik stressed the importance of policy continuity, merit and a level playing field. He said talented young people should be given opportunities to contribute without unnecessary hurdles.
The summit featured six sessions covering geopolitics and geoeconomics, business and technology, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, capital and finance, and Pakistan’s future economic strategy.
The sessions brought together senior representatives from international institutions and leading companies, including ACCA, Coca-Cola, Jazz, IFC, UNDP, BASF, InfraZamin, Acumen, VEON, Telenor, TCS, ABACUS, Systems Limited, SAP, PTCL and S&P Global, among others.
All distinguished speakers were presented with a copy of “Syed Babar Ali: A Centennial Tribute,” authored by Muhammad Azfar Ahsan, Founder and Chairman of Nutshell Group and Pakistan’s former Minister for Investment.
The closing session, titled “Pakistan’s Moment of Choice,” brought together perspectives from political leadership, government, business, strategic communication and the private sector to discuss Pakistan’s choices at a critical stage in global affairs.
LIIBS 2026 concluded with a shared emphasis on taking practical action on reforms, capital, technology and partnerships to unlock Pakistan’s economic opportunities.
