ISLAMABAD: The Privatisation Commission Board on Thursday approved the appointment of the financial advisor for the privatisation of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL).
The decision was made during the 236th meeting of the board held under the chairmanship of Adviser to the Prime Minister on Privatisation and Chairman Privatisation Commission Muhammad Ali.
The government striving to privatise ZTBL as a part of a broader effort to restructure state-owned enterprises and meet conditions under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund programme.
According to a statement released by the commission, its board approved the appointment of a consortium of Financial Advisors (FA) led by Next Capital Limited for the ZTBL transaction after a competitive and transparent selection process.
Other members of the consortium include Ijaz Ahmed & Associates (Legal), Baker Tilly Mehmood Idrees Qamar (Accounting & Tax), Executives Network International (ENI – HR), Bridge Public Relations (Media), Savills Pakistan Pvt Ltd (RE-Valuer) and Prima Global Consulting Pvt Ltd (Actuarial).
A major milestone in my entrepreneurial journey today.
Next Capital has been appointed as the financial advisor for the privatisation of Zarai Taraqiati Bank (ZTBL) by the Privatisation Commission board after a highly competitive and transparent process.
We were selected…
— Najam Ali (@NajamAli2020) July 3, 2025
The consortium secured the highest technical and financial ranking among six bidders, which included leading consortiums headed by Arif Habib Limited, AF Ferguson, AKD Securities Limited, Bridge Factor, and JS Bank.
The board also approved the constitution of a Negotiation Committee to finalize the Financial Advisory Services Agreement (FASA) with the selected consortium.
“This development marks a significant step forward in the government’s ongoing privatisation programme. The Privatisation Commission is actively advancing key transactions to promote efficiency, enhance private sector participation, and support broader financial sector reforms,” the statement said.
It added that ZTBL is among the priority transactions in the current privatisation pipeline. “The appointment of a top-tier consortium of FAs reflects the government’s strong commitment to executing the process in a professional, transparent, and timely manner.”