LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the London Stock Exchange and took part in a market-opening ceremony, where he highlighted Pakistan’s economic reforms and urged global financial institutions to expand their investment and business activities in the country.
Addressing the ceremony, Shehbaz Sharif said he was honored to be invited to the London Stock Exchange and that Pakistan had worked hard in recent years to strengthen its economy.
He said Pakistan’s macroeconomic indicators were showing continued improvement and that measures taken to achieve economic stability were producing positive results.
Shehbaz Sharif cited Pakistan’s recent issuance of $2 billion in Eurobonds as an example of the country’s progress in returning to international capital markets.
“If the Gulf crisis had not occurred, we would have really moved forward rapidly,” Sharif said, adding that Pakistan was also playing a role in efforts to facilitate peace between the United States and Iran.
The prime minister praised Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other government officials for their efforts to strengthen the economy. He said Pakistan would continue working in the right direction to reach a safer and more stable economic position.
During his London visit, Shehbaz Sharif also held separate meetings with senior officials from major international financial institutions, including Barclays, JPMorgan, Citi, BlackRock and Rothschild & Co.
The meetings focused on Pakistan’s economic reform agenda, macroeconomic stability, investment opportunities and cooperation with the global financial sector. During his meeting with Muhammad Kamal Syed, head of private banking and wealth management for the U.K. at Barclays, Sharif welcomed the bank’s interest in Pakistan.
He briefed the Barclays delegation on the government’s economic stabilization measures and invited the bank to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan’s financial and business sectors.
A JPMorgan delegation led by co-CEO Matthew Zames discussed cooperation in capital markets, trade finance and investment banking. Sharif also invited the bank to expand its operations in Pakistan. The delegation expressed interest in Pakistan’s sovereign debt markets and corporate banking sector.
Shehbaz Sharif also met with Citi officials led by Chief Client Officer David Livingstone. He praised Citi’s long-standing presence in Pakistan and encouraged the bank to further expand its corporate and institutional banking services.
In a meeting with BlackRock representatives, including co-heads of emerging markets and frontiers Gordon Fraser and Sam Veitch, Sharif invited the investment firm to increase its exposure to Pakistani equities and fixed-income assets under its frontier-markets strategy.
Both sides emphasized the importance of policy continuity in strengthening investor confidence. Shehbaz Sharif also met with Lord Mark Sedwill, and Majid Ishaq, head of U.K. investment banking.
The discussions covered Pakistan’s geoeconomic priorities, capital markets and potential advisory cooperation on investment strategies.
The meetings come as Pakistan seeks to build on recent improvements in its economic indicators and attract greater international investment. Pakistan’s Finance Ministry has recently highlighted a shift from economic stabilization toward investment, capital formation, exports and private-sector-led growth.
