PM meets top industrialists, business leaders including Muhammad Mansha, Arif Habib ahead of budget

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the upcoming federal budget for FY2026-27 would include measures aimed at providing relief to the public while advancing the government’s export-led growth strategy.

Speaking to leading industrialists and business leaders at the Prime Minister’s House, Shehbaz Sharif said the government was also taking steps to bring the informal economy into the tax net and broaden the country’s revenue base.

“We are grateful to the business community for supporting the government during challenging economic conditions,” he said, adding that a strong partnership between the public and private sectors was essential for sustainable economic growth.

The meeting was part of the government’s ongoing consultations with the business community ahead of the FY2026-27 budget and focused on measures to accelerate economic growth, boost exports, and improve the business environment.

The delegation included prominent business leaders Mian Muhammad Mansha, Arif Habib, Atif Bajwa, Muhammad Ali Tabba, Musaddiq Zulqarnain, Ziaad Bashir, Shahzad Saleem, Zeelaaf Munir, Umar Saeed, Umar Mansha, Yousaf Saeed, Kamran Arshad, Khurram Mukhtar, Asif Peer, Sultan Ali Allana, Gohar Ejaz, Fawad Anwar, Zulfiqar Hayat, Javed Iqbal, Yousaf Hussain, Amir Ibrahim, Khawaja Masood Akhtar and Ijaz Nabi.

During the meeting, participants were briefed on government initiatives aimed at promoting business activity, industrial growth, trade expansion, digital payments, and economic documentation.

The business leaders welcomed the government’s tax reform agenda and efforts to improve the ease of doing business, while expressing support for policies promoting a documented economy and digital transactions.

Among those present were Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Minister for Climate Change Musadik Malik, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan, Attorney General Mansoor Awan, State Bank of Pakistan Governor Jameel Ahmad, and senior officials from relevant departments.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Jazz CEO Amir Ibrahim said the prime minister had assured support for the development of Pakistan’s artificial intelligence sector, including plans to allocate Rs300 billion to promote AI-related initiatives.

Muhammad Ali Tabba, Chief Executive Officer of Lucky Cement, said the prime minister emphasized increasing exports and expressed his intention to provide tax relief to the business community.

Pakistan Business Council Chairperson Zeelaaf Munir stressed the need to accelerate economic growth and expand the country’s export base, describing higher exports as essential for sustainable development.