Islamabad, February 2, 2026 – Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif today met Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank Group (WBG), in Islamabad. This marked Mr. Banga’s first official visit to Pakistan as World Bank President.
During the meeting, PM Shehbaz praised the World Bank Group for its long-standing partnership with Pakistan and its commitment to the country’s development agenda, particularly through the 10-year World Bank Group Country Partnership Framework (CPF). He commended Mr. Banga’s leadership in transforming the World Bank into a more impactful development partner.
The Prime Minister highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing economic reform agenda, describing it as a comprehensive, home-grown program aimed at achieving sustainable economic stability. He emphasized the World Bank’s support in key sectors, including resilient infrastructure, agribusiness, digital development, energy, human capital, fiscal reforms, and private investment to create jobs and drive growth.
Both leaders agreed on the importance of fast-tracking project implementation and ensuring strong oversight to maximize the impact of CPF-aligned initiatives. PM Shehbaz reaffirmed the government’s commitment to structural reforms that promote job-rich growth and strengthen investor confidence.
Mr. Ajay Banga expressed gratitude for the warm reception and praised Pakistan’s reform efforts. He emphasized leveraging private resources alongside development partner coordination to achieve the government’s ambitious reform goals, under a unified “One World Bank Group” approach.