PM Shehbaz Reviews Privatisation Drive, Directs Timely Completion of 27 State-Owned Entities Plan

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed to ensure strict implementation of the targets and timelines set under the privatisation programme and said that the concerned ministries and institutions should complete all the stages of privatisation in a timely manner in coordination so that the reform process is not delayed.

A high-level meeting was held under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister to review the progress of the privatisation process of government institutions, in which the Ministry of Privatisation gave a detailed briefing on the current status of various institutions, upcoming stages and set targets. The meeting was informed that a total of 27 government institutions are included in the privatisation agenda and work is underway on them under three different phases.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was also apprised of the progress related to the privatisation of Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi airports, while a detailed briefing was also given on the privatisation process of electricity distribution companies IESCO, FESCO and GEPCO. According to officials, an Expression of Interest (EOI) has been issued for the three companies.

It was informed in the briefing that the last date for submission of documents by investors for FESCO is August 7, while applications will be received till August 21 for GEPCO and September 7 for IESCO, 2026. According to officials, several international companies have shown interest in investing in these institutions, and a series of roadshows with potential investors are also underway, which aims to promote maximum transparency and investor participation in the privatisation process.

In the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while specifically discussing the privatization of the Agriculture Development Bank, directed that the procedure for this process be structured in such a way that the bank’s core responsibilities in the agricultural sector are not affected. He clarified that even after privatisation, provision of agricultural loans, financial assistance and other facilities to farmers should continue so that national goals of increasing agricultural production can be achieved.

The Prime Minister said that the agriculture sector is the main pillar of Pakistan’s economy and food security; therefore, it is imperative to maintain farmers’ access to financial resources. He directed the relevant institutions to ensure transparency, timely decisions and inter-ministerial cooperation in the privatisation process so that the goals of the government’s reform programme can be achieved within the stipulated time.

According to economists, the privatisation of public institutions is part of the government’s broader reform agenda, which aims to reduce the financial burden, improve the efficiency of institutionprivatisations, promote private investment and create a competitive environment in the economy. However, maintaining the basic public role of institutions related to agriculture and public services during their privatisation is being considered an important aspect of policymaking.