Pakistan finance ministry shortlists three for top EXIM Bank post

Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance has shortlisted three candidates for the top post of CEO/President of the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank), more than eight months after the position fell vacant, sources told Nukta on Friday.

The shortlisted candidates — Shahbaz H. Syed, Aamir Khan, and Abdul Hafeez — have been included in a summary sent to the federal cabinet for final approval, sources said.

The key leadership post has remained unfilled since August 6, following the completion of Irfan Bukhari’s three-year tenure.

Owned entirely by the federal government, EXIM Bank is a development finance institution mandated to boost export growth and promote import-substitution initiatives. Its financial instruments — ranging from credit insurance to export refinancing — are aimed at leveling the playing field for Pakistani exporters competing with rivals backed by well-established EXIM agencies abroad.

The bank's profile has recently risen following a key decision by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), which approved the phased transfer of SBP’s Long-Term Financing Facility (LTFF) portfolio — worth Rs330 billion — to EXIM Bank. A technical supplementary grant of PKR 1 billion was also sanctioned to cover subsidy requirements for fiscal year 2025 under the new LTFF structure.