The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry in joint collaboration with the United Business Group convened the first Pakistan Economic Summit 2026 at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad. Organized under the leadership of UBG Patron-in-Chief S.M. Tanveer, the two-day national forum gathered industrial leaders, trade association representatives, chamber heads, regional delegates, and economic analysts from across all provinces to address key structural challenges and formulate recommendations for sustainable national growth. Despite the high turnout of private sector leaders, delegates expressed disappointment over the absence of key government economic figures, including Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and senior leadership from the Board of Investment and the Federal Board of Revenue. Business leaders noted that meaningful economic planning requires direct participation from top government policymakers. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and former minister Gohar Ejaz attended the proceedings, engaging with commercial stakeholders on domestic security and policy execution.
Addressing the assembly, S.M. Tanveer outlined key operational cost reductions achieved over recent years, noting that industrial electricity tariffs dropped from seventeen US cents per unit down to nearly twelve US cents. Highlighting export expansion targets, Tanveer proposed a district-level export drive, asserting that if each domestic district generated one billion dollars in annual exports, total national exports could reach one hundred seventy billion dollars compared to the stagnant thirty billion dollar baseline. To ensure proper institutional representation, he called on the government to allocate dedicated parliamentary seats for the business community, including two seats in the Senate, four in the National Assembly, and ten across each provincial assembly.
Regional security and governance emerged as central themes throughout the panel discussions. Business delegates from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa emphasized that restoring public order and lasting security takes operational precedence over monetary policy or trade incentives. Meanwhile, Association of Builders and Developers Chairman Hassan Bakhshi advocated for political representation and administrative restructuring, suggesting a transition toward a presidential governance framework led by technical experts. Other speakers, including Fatima Group Chief Executive Officer Fawad Ahmed Mukhtar, emphasized the need to harness modern agricultural techniques to drive broader economic recovery.
Closing the summit discussions, FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh commended the federal leadership for recent industrial export packages while emphasizing the need for continued review of Independent Power Producer contracts to reduce commercial energy costs. Additionally, legal and civic leaders present at the forum, including former Supreme Court Bar Association president Ahsan Bhoon, called on political parties to build cross-party consensus on creating new administrative units to streamline local governance and facilitate balanced economic growth across all provinces.
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