Chairman of the Exchange Companies Association of Pakistan, Malik Muhammad Bostan, has described 2025 as relatively better and more stable than 2024. He stated that the Pakistani Rupee remained strong against the Dollar and, by the grace of Allah, its value has increased. Since the IMF’s previous agreements, the sharp rise in the Dollar has been contained. Foreign exchange reserves have increased, and remittances from overseas Pakistanis have also shown improvement. However, due to difficulties obtaining visas for Pakistanis in the Gulf countries, the expected rise in remittance inflows was lower than anticipated.
Looking ahead to 2026, he expressed optimism, noting that, thanks to the efforts of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal General Asim Munir, foreign investors are considering investing in Pakistan.
Malik Muhammad Bostan described 2026 as a year of hope for the business community, noting that the country’s foreign exchange reserves are increasing. He also pointed out that just recently, rumors circulated that Pakistan might default. Still, the efforts of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and improved government relations globally have eased pressure on the national treasury. As a result, foreign investors are turning to Pakistan.
He further added that this success followed Pakistan’s magnificent victory over India in the war, which also led to an improved global rating for Pakistan.
Malik Bostan also mentioned that in 2025, the interest rate was reduced by 11.5%, from 22% to 10.5%, bringing relief to the business community.
He credited actions against dollar smuggling and crackdowns on hoarding mafias for bringing down inflation to 4.90%. This has helped restore investor confidence in the economy, but he highlighted that the lack of growth in the country’s exports remains a concern.
He emphasized that the government should focus on boosting exports because higher exports would bring more dollars into the country.
For 2026, he urged that to increase exports, electricity and gas tariffs must be reduced. He remains hopeful that in 2026, the government will take positive steps to stabilize the country’s industries.
