KARACHI: The Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (ICMA Pakistan) successfully organised the Future of Finance Summit 2026 – Karachi Edition at a local hotel, under the theme “Innovation in Financial Sector and Sustainable Value Creation.”
The Summit brought together policymakers, regulators, financial-sector leaders, corporate executives, investors, professional accountants and other key stakeholders to deliberate on Pakistan’s evolving financial landscape and future economic direction.
Opening the Summit, Azeem Hussain Siddiqui, President, ICMA Pakistan, shared the history and institutional journey of ICMA Pakistan, highlighting its contribution to the development of the management accounting profession and its role in strengthening financial management, governance, professional capacity and economic development in Pakistan.
Muhammad Yasin, Vice President, ICMA Pakistan and Chairman, Events Organising Committee, presented a comprehensive overview of the Conference, outlining its objectives, structure and key areas of discussion, including capital-market development, digital transformation, financial inclusion, consumer confidence, Islamic finance and sustainable value creation.
The Summit was graced by distinguished dignitaries, including Guests of Honour included Ahmer Elahi, Deputy Auditor-General (Policy), Office of the Auditor-General of Pakistan, Ashfaq Yousuf Tola, Advisor and Immediate Past President, South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), and former Minister of State of Pakistan; Farrukh H Sabzwari, CEO & MD PSX and Kabeer Naqvi, Entrepreneur in Residence, ABHI, Ghulam Mustafa Qazi, Chairman TSPD Committee, ICMA and Hakim Ali Jatoi, Chairman, Karachi Branch Council, ICMA
Addressing the Summit as Guest of Honour, Khurram Schehzad, Advisor to the Finance Minister, said Pakistan had moved from macroeconomic stabilisation towards a more sustainable, private sector-led growth trajectory, supported by structural reforms, improving investor confidence and strengthening economic fundamentals.
He highlighted improvements in economic growth, fiscal and external-sector stability, foreign exchange reserves and Pakistan’s sovereign credit outlook. He also referred to ongoing reforms in privatisation and state-owned enterprises, energy, taxation, public debt management, pensions, digitization and access to finance.
Schehzad noted encouraging trends in private-sector credit, capital-market activity, new company incorporations and investor participation, while highlighting growing domestic and international interest in Pakistan’s privatization and investment opportunities.
He said the government’s policy direction was increasingly focused on supporting industry, exporters, SMEs, agriculture and other productive sectors, reducing the cost of doing business and improving access to finance. He also highlighted the growing importance of Sukuk and Islamic finance in broadening Pakistan’s investment landscape.
Concluding his address, he emphasised that Pakistan’s future growth strategy rests on macroeconomic stability as the foundation, structural reforms as the enabler and the private sector as the engine of sustainable growth.
Prominent speakers and panelists explored how innovation, digital transformation, sound governance, financial inclusion, investor confidence and Islamic finance can contribute towards building a more resilient, trusted and sustainable financial ecosystem in Pakistan. The Summit reaffirmed ICMA Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating constructive dialogue among policymakers, regulators, industry leaders and professionals and contributing to policy development, professional excellence and sustainable economic growth in Pakistan.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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