Sell-off of SOEs: PM says looks forward to ‘best possible deals’

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday issued a firm directive to fast-track the privatisation of underperforming state-owned enterprises (SOEs), urging officials to secure the most advantageous deals while warning against bureaucratic inertia and administrative delays.

The prime minister, while chairing a high-level meeting, stressed that the national interest must remain at the heart of the privatisation drive.

He called for the immediate engagement of globally recognised experts to oversee the process and demanded a comprehensive strategy to enhance the operational capacity of SOEs.

Govt set to streamline governance in SOEs

The prime minister said that he would personally oversee the privatisation effort, committing to regular progress reviews in a bid to eliminate red tape and avoid stalling the programme.

Officials briefed Sharif on the status of 24 state entities earmarked for privatisation, noting that plans were underway for 15 of them.

The prime minister instructed that loss-making enterprises draining public resources should be prioritised, with the process to be completed “as soon as possible.” The meeting was attended by federal ministers Ahad Khan Cheema and Awais Leghari, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Kiyani, and other senior government officials.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025