Bangkok (GNP): Finance and Revenue Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb held a series of meetings with international investors, a credit rating agency, multilateral lenders, development partners and government counterparts on the margins of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings. He used the engagements to present Pakistan’s macroeconomic stabilisation, reform agenda and commitment to sustainable, export-led growth.
At the JP Morgan Investment Seminar, “Pakistan: The Road to Resilience in a Turbulent Global Economy Landscape,” Aurangzeb pointed to progress on fiscal consolidation, revenue mobilisation and continued primary surpluses. He cited strong remittances, better foreign exchange reserves and a contained current account deficit, and described efforts to replace expensive borrowing with longer-maturity financing without enlarging the external debt stock. He restated Pakistan’s commitment to the IMF programme, prudent monetary policy, targeted support for vulnerable households, and reforms to boost exports, trade and investment.
Meeting Moody’s representatives, he reviewed Pakistan’s economic outlook and sovereign credit profile and welcomed the recent rating upgrade and improved fiscal and external indicators. He noted renewed access to international capital markets, rising reserves and lower State Bank forward liabilities, and said the government will keep pursuing structural reforms and growth beyond the IMF programme. He also asked for Moody’s views on how to strengthen the rating further.
At the Bank of America (BoFA) Small Talks Symposium, he highlighted Pakistan’s stronger external position, positive net international reserves by the IMF definition and renewed market access. He described reforms in tax administration, tax-base broadening and privatisation, together with tariff reforms, competitive inputs and targeted financing to support exports. The discussion also covered managing regional conflict, energy-price pressure and climate shocks while keeping investors confident.
With UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed, he discussed development financing, debt sustainability and climate resilience. Both stressed adequate funding for the Sustainable Development Goals, poverty reduction, social protection and decent jobs. Aurangzeb called for simpler access to climate finance, better capacity to prepare bankable projects, local-currency financing to reduce exchange-rate risk and a stronger voice for developing countries in international financial institutions. He also stressed strengthening the Borrowers’ Forum through peer learning, institutional continuity and an effective virtual Secretariat, and thanked her for acknowledging Pakistan’s mediation during the recent US-Iran crisis.
Meeting Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, President of the OPEC Fund for International Development, he noted Pakistan’s stabilisation, progress under the IMF programme and renewed market access, and welcomed the Fund’s readiness to expand trade and project financing. Talks centred on financing for the M-6 motorway, including the approved first tranche, the pending loan agreement and later tranches. ML-1 railway modernisation and power transmission were named as priorities, and both sides stressed timely approvals, closer coordination and effective delivery. Aurangzeb thanked Dr. Alkhalifa for an invitation to visit the Fund, where the project agreement might be signed.
With Engineer Adeeb Y. Al Aama, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), he discussed financing cooperation, trade development and bringing borrowing costs in line with improved market conditions. The two sides agreed their technical teams would examine adjustments to financing terms and volumes. Aurangzeb described Pakistan’s push to swap costly short-term debt for longer maturities without raising external debt. They also covered digital product passports for textile exports to the European Union and single-window connectivity to ease trade with ASEAN markets.
Meeting Alibaba International Digital Commerce (AIDC) leadership, he reviewed cooperation on Pakistan’s digital economy, digital payments and the move toward a cashless economy, and praised Alibaba’s support for small and medium-sized enterprises, local brands and exports through Daraz and Alibaba.com. They discussed rationalising e-commerce taxation, speeding up the Pakistan Single Window e-commerce platform and improving tracking of cross-border payments and export proceeds. Cooperation on cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence and tax administration was also reviewed, with emphasis on integrated data systems, cybersecurity and institutional capacity. The sides further explored modernising Pakistan Post’s sorting systems and expanding agricultural exports to China via Alibaba’s retail network.
With SungAh Lee, Deputy Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he discussed climate mobility, disaster preparedness, skills development and economic growth. The talks focused on stronger early warning systems and population-movement data, aligning skills training with overseas labour demand and widening safe, regular migration routes. Aurangzeb underlined the economic contribution of overseas Pakistanis, the importance of formal remittance channels and the chance to direct remittances into productive investment. Both sides also looked at climate financing and institutional capacity-building for bankable projects.
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Sohail Majeed is a Special Correspondent at The Diplomatic Insight. He has twelve plus years of experience in journalism & reporting. He covers International Affairs, Diplomacy, UN, Sports, Climate Change, Economy, Technology, and Health.
