Peshawar, the “Gateway to Central Asia,” hosted the Pakistan Business Summit 2025 under the patronage of the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The event, themed “Shaping What’s Next,” brought together senior policymakers and business leaders.

Senate Chairman Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said empowering women, fostering innovation, and ensuring peace would “transform resilience into lasting prosperity.”

KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi stressed that the province’s hydel power, minerals, and tourism potential could only be unlocked through investment, peace with Afghanistan, and business–banking collaboration.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighted fairness in taxation, while Privatisation Minister Muhammad Ali called for structural reforms to shift the economy toward a market-based model.

KP Finance Minister Muzammil Aslam emphasised consistent policies and higher tax-to-GDP ratios to restore investor confidence.

Global voices also weighed in, with Kaan Terzioglu, Group CEO of VEON, underlining digital readiness, while Al Baraka Bank CEO Muhammad Atif Hanif linked resilience to opportunity.

Nutshell Group Chairman Muhammad Azfar Ahsan urged education reforms, warning that with 3.8 million out-of-school children, “neither society nor the economy can progress.”

The summit gathered representatives from leading banks, corporations, and international advisors to deliberate on climate resilience, green financing, digital transformation, AI, agriculture, and investment climate.

Closing the summit, former Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman said Pakistan was at “the most opportune moment” with a cohesive internal environment, a ready private sector, and government support.