PNN: PM Shehbaz Sharif met World Bank Group (WBG) President Ajay Pal Singh Banga in Islamabad on Monday, welcoming him on his first official visit to Pakistan as WBG President.
Banga is on a four-day high-level visit, touring several official and cultural sites. His visit began on February 1 and will continue until February 4. During his stay, he is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, and other senior officials. Discussions are expected to focus on economic reforms, development cooperation, and regional projects.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the long-term partnership between Pakistan and the World Bank Group, praising its commitment to supporting the country’s development priorities. He also commended the ten-year World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF), describing it as a model of cooperative initiatives, and acknowledged Banga’s leadership in strengthening the WBG’s role as an effective development partner for Pakistan.
“Pakistan values the World Bank Group’s significant support in the country’s economic growth and reforms,” the prime minister said.
He added that the government is fully committed to a comprehensive, multi-dimensional reform programme tailored to national needs to achieve sustainable economic stability. “We value the World Bank Group’s support in strengthening infrastructure, agribusiness, digital development, energy, human capital, financial reforms, employment generation, and private sector investment,” the statement read.
Both the prime minister and Banga emphasised that the CPF should ensure rapid implementation of aligned priorities and effective monitoring to achieve timely and large-scale results. PM Shehbaz noted that these steps would help overcome obstacles in development project execution and align with his vision for progress.
The prime minister also reaffirmed his commitment to comprehensive administrative reforms aimed at promoting employment-based economic growth and further strengthening investor confidence.
Banga thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome and hospitality and praised Pakistan’s ongoing reform efforts. “We are committed to deepening cooperation under the ‘One World Bank Group’ initiative. Achieving the government’s reform agenda requires close coordination with development partners and more efficient use of private resources,” he said.
The meeting underlined the shared goal of ensuring that Pakistan’s development programmes are delivered effectively and sustainably, with both sides committing to close collaboration over the next decade.