Pakistan Industry and Traders Association Front (PIAF) leaders said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s position in the indices of various global institutions was not at the level that was needed, and extraordinary steps were needed to attract foreign investment. They emphasized that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself should lead these efforts.
In a joint statement, PIAF Patron-in-Chief Mian Sohail Nisar, Chairman Syed Mahmood Ghaznavi, Senior Vice Chairman Mudassar Masood Chaudhry and Vice Chairman Raja Waseem Hassan said that under the current circumstances Pakistan’s credit rating was still relatively low. However, they expressed the hope that with the successful continuation of the IMF programme, Pakistan’s credit rating will improve in 2026 and foreign exchange reserves will also increase.
They pointed out that Pakistan’s score in the World Economic Forum’s Financial Development Index stands at 0.220, which is lower than the scores of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India. At the same time, they said that Pakistan’s position in the Global Innovation Index is good.
According to the statement, in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, Pakistan’s ranking among South Asian countries is 108, which is considered good, but there is still significant room for improvement. They noted that Pakistan performs well in trade freedom, investment freedom, government spending and tax burden, but remains weak in property rights, government integrity, judicial efficiency and finance.
The PIAF leaders further stated that Pakistan is ranked 135th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index, placing it in the 75th percentile. They highlighted that there is a wide disparity in Pakistan’s percentile position across various international indices.
Concluding their statement, they said that Pakistan performs well in ease of doing business, financial development and innovation, while its position in credit rating and human development remains relatively weak, for which practical steps will have to be taken.
