PM Shehbaz meets global financial firms in London, invites them to invest, expand services in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met with senior executives from leading global financial institutions in London and invited them to invest and expand their services in Pakistan.

During a busy day in the UK capital, the premier held a series of meetings with top officials of Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Citi, BlackRock and Rothschild & Co.

Earlier in the day, he also became the first Pakistani prime minister to open trading at the London Stock Exchange, according to his office.

In a statement, the PM’s Office (PMO) said the premier’s engagements with the global firms “underscored growing international financial sector interest in Pakistan’s economic reform trajectory and improving investment climate”.

In his meeting with a high-level JP Morgan delegation led by its co-CEO for Europe, Middle East and Africa Matthieu Wiltz, PM Shehbaz invited the firm to expand its footprint in Pakistan.

He discussed deepening the partnership across capital markets, trade finance and investment banking.

According to PMO, the JP Morgan delegation “reaffirmed its interest in sovereign debt capital markets and corporate banking opportunities”.

Meeting with Mohammad Kamal Syed, head of Private Bank and Wealth Management UK at Barclays, PM Shehbaz briefed him on the government’s macroeconomic stabilisation measures and encouraged Barclays to explore opportunities in the country’s financial sector.

The prime minister welcomed the bank’s “interest in Pakistan”, PMO said.

PM Shehbaz also met with Rothschild & Co, represented by Chair of Geostrategic Advisory Lord Mark Sedwill and Head of UK Investment Banking Majid Ishaq.

“Discussions centred on Pakistan’s geo-economic priorities and potential advisory collaboration on capital markets and investment strategy,” PMO said.

The premier also met a group of senior officials of Citi, led by Chief Client Officer David Livingstone, encouraging the bank to expand its “corporate and institutional banking services” in Pakistan.

The prime minister commended Citi’s long-standing presence in Pakistan,........

© Dawn Business