Failed expectations

The business community had higher expectations from the government and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb. They expressed disappointment over the government’s lacklustre response to reports of multinationals planning to exit and local companies moving their back offices abroad. Pakistani businessmen viewed PML-N as more business-friendly than other political parties and expected that the finance minister would champion their interests in the cabinet. This perception about the party stems from PML-N’s historical legacy, including the 1991 deregulation, liberalisation and privatisation programme launched under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, which aimed to promote free market principles, encourage private ownership and attract foreign investment.