KARACHI: A global professional services firm from New York is considering opening an office in Pakistan to assist the government with privatizing state-owned enterprises (SOEs) before 2030, as part of efforts to overhaul public entities and improve their performance, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.
Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), founded in 1983 and operating in over 30 countries, is renowned for its expertise in corporate restructuring and turnaround management. It is offering its services to the government as Pakistan plans to privatize over 50 SOEs within the next four years due to their significant impact on the national exchequer.
The A&M delegation, led by Division Executive Peter Briggs, Managing Director Abdalla ElEbiary and Global Head of Sovereign Advisory Reza Baqir — the former governor of Pakistan’s central bank — met with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad to discuss the firm’s role in Pakistan’s privatization process and the establishment of a sovereign wealth fund.
“During the meeting, Briggs emphasized A&M’s strong commitment to investing in Pakistan,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
“He mentioned that the firm is considering opening an office in Pakistan as part of its broader commitment to assist the government in its privatization efforts and to attract potential global investors to the country.”
So far, the company has not issued a statement on the meeting. However, the ministry said Briggs highlighted the firm’s long-term strategy to expand in the region, noting that Pakistan’s growing market presents investment and growth opportunities.
Aurangzeb thanked the delegation for their company’s contribution to the privatization of power distribution companies and highlighted the government’s commitment to the process, with 24 SOEs already in the privatization pipeline.
In February, Pakistan signed a financial advisory agreement with A&M to privatize three major power distribution companies. This agreement was part of the government’s broader effort to reform the power sector, which has long faced issues like circular debt, operational inefficiencies and power theft.
The divestment of state-run power companies is a key component of Pakistan’s economic reform agenda, as outlined in the IMF’s current $7 billion loan program.
Last year, a Pakistan cabinet committee responsible for the Privatization Program 2024–29 approved the privatization of 24 entities. However, it decided that the inclusion of other state entities would be determined after a review to assess their categorization as strategic or essential enterprises.
Top New York firm plans to open local office amid Pakistan’s privatization drive – finance ministry
https://arab.news/bygkm
Top New York firm plans to open local office amid Pakistan’s privatization drive – finance ministry
- Alvarez & Marsal delegation meets finance minister to discuss privatization, establishment of a sovereign wealth fund
- Pakistan aims to privatize over 50 state-owned companies within the next four years to reduce its financial burden
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
