Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with business leaders on Tuesday to discuss ways to boost Pakistan's export-led growth, which he emphasized is essential for achieving economic success. The prime minister highlighted that any other kind of growth "has no meaning" and that export-led growth must be the focus. No specific targets or numbers were mentioned in relation to the meeting itself, but Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal previously stated that the government aims for six percent sustainable economic growth through diversifying exports.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan met with business leaders on Tuesday, seeking their input on how to increase export-led growth in the country. He emphasized that any economic growth must be driven by exports, stating "Whatever growth we have to achieve, it has to be export-led growth, period." He noted that the current month, September, is a critical time for exports and asked business leaders for their opinions on how to boost exports and address potential challenges. The prime minister cited an example of special tax relief for exporters as one way to achieve this goal. This meeting is part of ongoing efforts by the government to consult with the business community, which has been intense since the presentation of the federal budget in June this year.
Written for “Pakistan Export-Led Growth Plan” on 2026-09-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.85, but none of the 1 quote(s) it offered could be found in the article text, so the score is not published.
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Leaning score withheld for article 6934: no verified evidence · logged 2026-09-08
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday sought recommendations from industrialists and businesspeople on how to increase export-led growth in the country.
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Sharif → seek → country
“Whatever growth we have to achieve, it has to be export-led growth, period,” the premier remarked while addressing a meeting with prominent leaders of the business community.
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premier → have → community
He added that any other kind of growth had “no meaning” and reinforced that economic growth had to be export-led.
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growth → add → meaning
“Today’s meeting is because we’re in the first quarter, in the month of September.
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we → ’re → September
I need your opinions on how to increase our exports, as well as what challenges we will face and how to address them,” PM Shehbaz said.
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Shehbaz → need → them
The prime minister gave the example of special tax relief to exporters as a means to achieve this growth.
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minister → give → growth
He recalled that in the run-up to the federal budget presented in June this year, the government held multiple meetings and had “intense consultations” with the business community.
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government → recall → community
“Through your consultations in difficult times, the way we brought structural changes over the past two-and-a-half years … it’s teamwork.
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it → bring → years
It’s a tremendous teamwork,” PM Shehbaz said.
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Shehbaz → ’ → ?
“As a result, we made overdue structural reforms.
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we → make → reforms
It’s a long journey, but through enforcement we recovered Rs800 billion in one year.
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we → ’ → year
No new taxes were imposed.”
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taxes → impose → ?
PM Shehbaz praised the teamwork involved between the business community and the government, adding that Pakistan was ready to pursue growth with their input.
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Pakistan → praise → input
In July, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the government was pursuing a strategy to diversify exportable products and market portfolios to achieve a target of six per cent sustainable economic growth.
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government → say → growth
That growth has to be export-led; otherwise it will become another economic bubble that bursts within a few years,” he said.
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he → have → years
Last Monday, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that the government’s focus was on building an ecosystem to support sustainable growth that was led by the private sector and export-driven.
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that → say → sector
The minister said Pakistan had moved from stabilisation towards growth, but the key challenge now was to ensure its sustainability.
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challenge → say → sustainability
Earlier this week, PM Shehbaz welcomed the launch of export insurance coverage by the Export Development Fund (EDF) and the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan, saying the facility would help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) expand the country’s exports.
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enterprises → welcome → exports
Chairing a meeting on the EDF, he said the Rs3bn risk pool would expand access to export credit insurance, especially for SMEs, and help the business community increase export volumes.
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community → chair → volumes
He described the initiative as a highly welcome step to promote small and medium-sized businesses and strengthen the national economy.
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He → describe → economy
