High-level officials from Pakistan, including Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, recently engaged in discussions with Chinese authorities regarding the country’s energy sector reforms.
On Thursday, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met with China’s Charge d’Affaires Shi Yuanqiang and other officials from the Chinese Embassy. The meeting also included Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Power Muhammad Ali, and Minister of State for Finance & Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik.
According to a statement from the Finance Division, Aurangzeb welcomed the Chinese delegation and highlighted the strong bilateral relationship between Pakistan and China. He emphasized recent positive changes in Pakistan’s economic situation, including rising foreign exchange reserves, reduced inflation, and improved tax collection.
Aurangzeb outlined key government reforms in the energy sector, state-owned enterprises, and ongoing privatization efforts. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to attracting increased foreign direct investment (FDI) and focusing on export-led growth.
The long-standing allies have previously relied on Chinese support to meet Pakistan’s external financing needs. During the meeting, Aurangzeb reflected on his recent visit to China, describing it as “extremely useful” for advancing economic cooperation between the two nations.
Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari expressed Pakistan’s appreciation for Chinese investments in the country’s energy sector and noted that the government is undertaking significant reforms to address sectoral challenges.
The Chinese Chargé d’Affaires reaffirmed China’s commitment to supporting Pakistan’s sustainable economic development and indicated that the Embassy is collaborating with various departments to implement the agreements reached during the Prime Minister’s visit to China.
Last month, Aurangzeb announced ongoing discussions about restructuring Pakistan’s power sector debt to China, with plans to address it on a project-by-project basis and appoint a local advisor in China for this purpose.
