Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that the federal budget 2026-27 would include relief for the public and support Pakistan’s export-led growth strategy.
Speaking to industrialists and business leaders at the PM House in Islamabad, the prime minister said the government was also moving to bring the informal economy into the tax net.
Shehbaz said export-led growth remained the main pillar of the government’s economic policy. He added that stronger cooperation between the federal government and the private sector would support economic growth.
The prime minister called business leaders Pakistan’s ambassadors abroad. He thanked the business community for backing the government during difficult economic conditions.
Meanwhile, officials briefed the delegation on steps to promote business, industry and trade. They said the federal government had introduced reforms to tax tribunals to speed up tax case decisions.
The delegation also heard that officials were working on Special Commercial Courts. The meeting also discussed upgrades to the M-10 Motorway, the Pipri Freight Corridor and Pakistan Railways’ ML-1 and ML-2 lines.
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Officials said the M-13 Motorway between Kharian and Rawalpindi would cut travel time between Lahore and Islamabad. They also said a National AI Transformation Plan was under development.
The briefing said video analytics systems in the sugar and cement sectors had improved revenue collection by monitoring production.
Business leaders welcomed tax reforms, digital payments and measures for a documented economy. They also thanked the prime minister for reducing industrial electricity tariffs, abolishing the Export Development Levy and clearing tax refunds on time.
Lucky Cement’s chief executive said after the meeting that the prime minister wanted to raise exports and provide tax relief to businesses.
Pakistan Business Council Chairperson Zeelaf Munir said Pakistan needed faster growth and higher export volumes.
