KARACHI: The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) on Monday has presented a private-sector-led export growth agenda to Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s competitiveness and accelerating foreign exchange earnings.
Finance Minister welcomed the engagement, saying the visit marked the start of consultations for next year’s budget. “This visit to the PBC is a discussion invitation for starting the medium-term tax and budget policy,” he said.
The PBC delegation led by Chairperson Dr Zeelaf Munir and CEO Javed Kureishi, presented sector-specific proposals covering textiles, processed food and FMCG, pharmaceuticals, IT and ICT, mobile phone manufacturing, rubber products and other export-oriented industries.
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During the meeting, the PBC shared a time-bound export acceleration plan under which the private sector could help generate an estimated USD1.1 billion to USD1.9 billion in incremental exports over 12 months, with USD450 million to USD700 million realizable during July-December 2026, subject to timely government action on key policy enablers.
As part of the discussion, Dr Zeelaf Munir presented “Building Brand Pakistan: Unlocking Processed Food Export Potential,” which highlighted how Pakistan can move from commodity-led exports to higher-value, brand-led exports. She said that Pakistan must now build a broader export model based on value, trust and competitiveness.
“Brand Pakistan is not limited to one sector; it is a national export strategy. With policy stability, institutional support and public-private partnership, Pakistan can move from exporting volume to exporting value,” she added.
Javed Kureishi, CEO of the PBC, said, “PBC believes in export-led growth and is ready to support the government in developing practical, private-sector-driven solutions that can help Pakistan build scale in global markets.”
The wider proposals focused on policy stability, market access, cost competitiveness, regulatory facilitation and export financing to help Pakistani businesses move from low-value trade to higher-value exports.
The PBC delegation included senior members and business leaders representing a cross-section of key sectors of the economy, including Musadiq Zulqarnain, Yaqoob Ahmed, Muzaffar Piracha, Abrar Hasan, Khalid Mehmood, Asif Peer, Omar Saeed, Rizwan Diwan, Bashir Ali Mohammad, Muhammad Faisal and Syed Haider Ali.
The Finance Minister welcomed the PBC’s proactive approach and its commitment to working with the government on export-led growth. Both sides agreed on the importance of a time-bound action plan to address structural barriers, unlock sectoral export potential and help Pakistani businesses compete more effectively in global markets.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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