The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a new country partnership strategy (CPS) for Pakistan covering the period 2026–2030, outlining a roadmap to support the country’s shift toward sustainable and inclusive economic growth driven by private sector development. The five-year strategy focuses on strengthening private sector growth, promoting inclusion and empowerment, and improving resilience and sustainability, while also emphasizing good governance, institutional strengthening, gender equality, digital transformation, and regional cooperation.
According to ADB Country Director for Pakistan Emma Fan, the new strategy is designed to address Pakistan’s structural challenges and encourage stable, long-term growth that benefits the entire population, particularly vulnerable communities. The initiative aims to support strategic investments and reforms across key sectors to stimulate economic activity and generate employment, with ADB working closely with both public and private stakeholders to implement the agenda.
The strategy comes as Pakistan stabilizes its macroeconomic conditions after facing several external shocks and begins implementing important structural reforms. In response to this evolving environment, the CPS highlights export- and investment-led growth supported by improved public financial management, a more enabling business climate, and targeted investments in sectors with strong development impact.
A key component of the strategy is boosting private sector development through reforms and investments that reduce regulatory burdens, strengthen infrastructure, expand access to finance, and encourage public–private partnerships. The plan also identifies major opportunities in areas such as critical minerals, railway and multimodal connectivity, energy security and clean energy, agricultural productivity and value chains, integrated water resource management, and skills development linked to employment.
To address emerging challenges more effectively, ADB plans to use integrated solutions that combine policy reforms, sovereign and nonsovereign financing, technical assistance, and knowledge support across Pakistan. The strategy also prioritizes strengthening human capital, expanding access to quality social services, and increasing women’s participation in economic activities to promote broader inclusion and empowerment.
Given Pakistan’s high vulnerability to extreme weather events and natural disasters, resilience and sustainability remain central to the strategy. ADB will support efforts related to disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, flood and water resource management, agricultural value chains and food security, as well as improving air quality.
The new partnership strategy aligns with Pakistan’s National Economic Transformation Plan and ADB’s Strategy 2030 Midterm Review, reflecting shared goals of economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. It also reinforces coordination between ADB, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and other development partners to enhance development outcomes.
Pakistan has been a member of the Asian Development Bank since 1966, and over the years the institution has committed 764 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance projects to the country, totaling about $58.6 billion.
