Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, in his keynote speech at the Asian Financial Forum 2025 on January 13, 2025, stated that Pakistan aims to pursue additional joint ventures with Hong Kong and explore opportunities for secondary listings of its companies on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
He said, “If there is an opportunity for companies from Pakistan, through joint ventures with local companies, to come in and do primary and secondary listings in the Hong Kong stock exchange, it can be a real win-win, not only in terms of the investment expected back in Pakistan but also outward investment.”
Aurangzeb is scheduled to meet with Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee Ka-chiu, to discuss the possibility of a Hong Kong delegation visiting Pakistan soon to identify areas for enhanced collaboration.
He emphasized that facilitating Pakistani companies to list in Hong Kong would be a key focus of his discussions with the chief executive. He further noted that Pakistani companies and banks have historically favored secondary listings on the London Stock Exchange, mainly due to a lack of awareness about Hong Kong’s strong reputation in international capital raising.
In a separate interview, Aurangzeb revealed that Pakistan plans to issue yuan-denominated bonds, or panda bonds, to raise between $200 million and $250 million from Chinese investors over the next six to nine months.
The finance minister also mentioned that Pakistan is prioritizing foreign investment from Gulf countries and seeking to enhance trade relations with nations such as China, Bangladesh, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Iran.
