Finance Minister, British High Commissioner Review Pakistan’s Reform Agenda and Economic Cooperation
Islamabad, July 15: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, met with British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ms. Jane Marriott CMG OBE, at the Finance Division to discuss Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, ongoing economic reforms, and opportunities to further strengthen bilateral economic and development cooperation between Pakistan and the United Kingdom.
During the meeting, Senator Aurangzeb appreciated the United Kingdom’s longstanding partnership and continued support for Pakistan’s reform initiatives. He acknowledged British assistance across key sectors, including economic governance, fiscal management, climate resilience, public finance, healthcare, and social development. The Finance Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implementing comprehensive structural reforms aimed at broadening the tax base, strengthening public financial management, improving governance, and enhancing investor confidence to support sustainable economic growth.
The discussions also focused on Pakistan’s population management and public health priorities. Senator Aurangzeb welcomed the UK’s technical assistance in population stabilization and emphasized the need for a coordinated national framework with measurable targets to institutionalize population planning. He stressed that greater investment in women’s education, workforce participation, and public awareness, supported by international best practices, would significantly improve long-term human development indicators and contribute to sustainable economic progress.
Highlighting the government’s financial strategy, the Finance Minister outlined ongoing efforts to expand Pakistan’s access to international capital markets and diversify financing sources. He referred to sovereign financing initiatives, including international bond issuances, Sukuk, Panda Bonds, and innovative instruments such as the tokenization of sovereign debt under the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy.
The meeting further reviewed reforms within the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), alongside broader structural initiatives covering the energy sector, privatization of selected state-owned enterprises, and measures to improve governance, efficiency, and public service delivery. Senator Aurangzeb reiterated that these reforms are central to building a resilient economy, enhancing the ease of doing business, and creating a more competitive investment environment.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott welcomed Pakistan’s progress in restoring macroeconomic stability and reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s continued support for the country’s economic reform agenda and long-term development objectives.
