Shehbaz Sharif Meets Global Financial Firms in London, Seeks Investment

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held meetings with senior executives of leading global financial institutions in London on Tuesday and invited them to expand their services and investment activities in Pakistan.

The meetings included representatives from JP Morgan, Barclays, Citi, BlackRock and Rothschild & Co. The discussions covered capital markets, investment banking, corporate banking, sovereign debt and potential investment in Pakistan.

Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif became the first Pakistani prime minister to open a trading session at the London Stock Exchange (LSE). He also formally inaugurated Pakistan’s $3 billion dual-tranche sovereign Eurobond at the LSE headquarters.

Talks with Global Financial Institutions

During a meeting with a JP Morgan delegation led by its Europe, Middle East and Africa co-CEO Matthieu Wiltz, the prime minister invited the bank to expand its presence in Pakistan.

The two sides discussed cooperation in capital markets, trade finance and investment banking. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the JP Morgan delegation reaffirmed interest in sovereign debt capital markets and corporate banking opportunities.

At Barclays, Shehbaz Sharif met Mohammad Kamal Syed, head of Private Bank and Wealth Management UK. The prime minister briefed him on the government’s macroeconomic measures and encouraged Barclays to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s financial sector.

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He also met Rothschild & Co officials, including Lord Mark Sedwill, chair of Geostrategic Advisory, and Majid Ishaq, head of UK Investment Banking.

The discussions focused on Pakistan’s geo-economic priorities and possible advisory cooperation in capital markets and investment strategy.

Citi and BlackRock Engagement

The prime minister also met senior Citi officials led by Chief Client Officer David Livingstone.

Shehbaz Sharif encouraged Citi to expand its corporate and institutional banking services in Pakistan. He also acknowledged the bank’s longstanding presence in the country.

A separate meeting was held with a BlackRock delegation comprising Gordon Fraser, Sam Vecht and Emily Fletcher.

The prime minister invited increased allocations to Pakistani equities and fixed-income instruments under BlackRock’s frontier markets strategy. Both sides also stressed the importance of policy consistency in building investor confidence.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the meetings reflected continued engagement between Pakistan and international financial institutions. It added that the government was seeking greater foreign investment and deeper participation in the country’s financial sector.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation Muhammad Ali also attended the meetings.

Shehbaz Sharif Opens LSE Trading Session

At the London Stock Exchange headquarters in Paternoster Square, LSE Group Chief Executive David Schwimmer and senior officials welcomed the prime minister.

Speaking at the ceremony, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s economic indicators and said the country was seeking stronger links with international financial markets.

He also referred to Pakistan’s recently completed $3 billion dual-tranche sovereign Eurobond, which was formally inaugurated during the ceremony.

The prime minister said Pakistan wanted to strengthen its engagement with international financial markets beyond sovereign borrowing and attract investment into the wider economy.

Finance Minister Meets Standard Chartered CEO

Separately, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met Standard Chartered Bank CEO Bill Winters in London.

According to the Finance Ministry, the meeting covered Pakistan’s structural reforms, recent macroeconomic developments and future areas of cooperation.

The discussions included tokenisation, international Sukuk and other financing opportunities. The two sides also discussed potential capital market transactions linked to the government’s privatisation programme.

The ministry said Standard Chartered’s investor network across Europe, the Middle East and Asia could support investor outreach and improve Pakistan’s visibility in international markets.