Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with senior executives from Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Citi, BlackRock and Rothschild & Co. in London to discuss Pakistan’s economic reforms, investment opportunities and financial-sector cooperation.
LONDON: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif held a series of meetings with senior executives of leading global financial institutions in London on Tuesday, discussing Pakistan’s economic reforms, investment climate and opportunities for deeper engagement with the country’s financial sector.
During his visit to the United Kingdom, the prime minister met representatives of Barclays, J.P. Morgan, Citi, BlackRock and Rothschild & Co.
At Barclays, Shehbaz met Mohammad Kamal Syed, Head of Private Bank and Wealth Management UK, and welcomed the bank’s interest in Pakistan. He briefed him on the government’s macroeconomic stabilization measures and encouraged Barclays to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s financial sector.
The prime minister also met a high-level J.P. Morgan delegation led by Matthieu Wiltz, Co-CEO for EMEA. The discussions focused on strengthening cooperation in capital markets, trade finance and investment banking. Shehbaz invited J.P. Morgan to expand its presence in Pakistan, while the delegation reaffirmed its interest in sovereign debt capital markets and corporate banking opportunities.
In a meeting with senior Citi officials led by Chief Client Officer David Livingstone, the prime minister praised the bank’s long-standing presence in Pakistan and encouraged it to expand its corporate and institutional banking services.
Shehbaz also met a BlackRock delegation comprising Gordon Fraser and Sam Vecht, Co-Heads of Emerging Markets and Frontiers, and Emily Fletcher, Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst. He invited increased allocations to Pakistani equities and fixed-income instruments within BlackRock’s frontier markets strategy. Both sides emphasized the importance of sustained policy consistency in strengthening investor confidence.
During a separate meeting with Rothschild & Co, represented by Lord Mark Sedwill, Chair of Geostrategic Advisory, and Majid Ishaq, Head of UK Investment Banking, discussions covered Pakistan’s geo-economic priorities and potential advisory cooperation in capital markets and investment strategy.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the visiting executives expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic reform momentum and reaffirmed their institutions’ commitment to deeper engagement with the country’s financial sector.
The meetings were part of the government’s broader efforts to strengthen international investor confidence and attract sustained capital flows into Pakistan.
Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatization and Chairman of the Privatization Commission Muhammad Ali also attended the meetings.
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