Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said Pakistan is moving away from aid towards trade and investment, with greater emphasis on deepening commercial relationships with bilateral partners, attracting private capital and expanding Pakistan’s integration with regional and global markets.

He was addressing the 9th Edition of the Leaders in Islamabad Business Summit 2026, themed “The Next Move,” through video link today.

The Finance Minister highlighted Pakistan’s recent return to international capital markets through the issuance of three billion dollars in international bonds after a four-year gap. He said investor orders were nearly twice the amount sought, with particularly strong participation from Asian investors. He noted that the quality and diversity of the investor base were as important as the size of the order book, with growing Asian participation providing an important signal of international investor confidence in Pakistan.

Muhammad Aurangzeb noted that Pakistan’s GDP grew by around 3.7 percent during the last fiscal year, while economic activity has remained positive in the current fiscal year. He also noted that the State Bank of Pakistan has projected GDP growth in the range of 3.5 to 4.5 percent for the current fiscal year.

Looking ahead, he emphasized the importance of positioning Pakistan for the New Economy, including emerging opportunities around digitalization, blockchain and Web 3.0. He said Pakistan must combine its young and increasingly technology-enabled talent base with an enabling policy and investment environment to participate in higher-value segments of the global economy.

The Finance Minister emphasized that bringing permanence to macroeconomic stability remains central to Pakistan’s economic future, with strong fiscal and external buffers necessary to manage domestic and external pressures. He said the government remains focused on protecting the gains achieved while continuing the structural reforms necessary to strengthen productivity, competitiveness and private-sector-led growth.