Brief

Pakistan finance minister meets OPEC Fund to discuss M‑6 motorway financing

Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb highlighted economic stabilization and sought expanded project financing from the OPEC Fund.

By Felo News Desk · Published Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:44:59 GMT

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb met Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa, President of the OPEC Fund for International Development, on the sidelines of the World Bank Group‑IMF Annual Meetings 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand. The two officials discussed financing for Pakistan's M‑6 motorway, the first tranche of which has already been approved, as well as pending loan agreements and subsequent tranches.

During the meeting, Aurangzeb emphasized Pakistan's recent economic stabilization, progress under the IMF programme and renewed access to international capital markets, according to a news release. He thanked the OPEC Fund for its willingness to expand trade and project‑financing support and suggested that a project agreement could be signed during a future visit to the Fund.

The discussion also covered other priority infrastructure, including the ML‑1 railway modernization and power‑transmission projects. Both sides stressed the need to expedite approvals and improve coordination to ensure timely implementation.

Separately, Aurangzeb met representatives of Moody’s on the same sidelines, reviewing Pakistan's recent rating upgrade, improved fiscal and external indicators, and the country's efforts to replace short‑term debt with longer‑maturity financing without raising the external debt stock. The delegation highlighted rising foreign‑exchange reserves, a contained current‑account deficit and reduced State Bank forward liabilities.

In a further meeting, Aurangzeb and Engineer Adeeb Y. Al Aama, CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC), discussed financing cooperation, borrowing costs and initiatives to boost Pakistan's export competitiveness. Both parties agreed that technical teams would examine possible adjustments in pricing and financing volume to reach a mutually acceptable solution.

Key facts

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb met OPEC Fund President Abdulhamid Alkhalifa in Bangkok. (dailytimes.com.pk)
The talks focused on financing the M‑6 motorway, including the approved first tranche. (dailytimes.com.pk)
Aurangzeb also met Moody’s representatives to discuss Pakistan's rating upgrade and debt strategy. (dailytimes.com.pk)
A separate meeting with ITFC CEO Adeeb Y. Al Aama covered export‑competitiveness financing. (dailytimes.com.pk)