Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered urgent reforms to make low-cost agricultural loans easier to access for small and medium-scale farmers. He called it a vital step to increase crop productivity and protect the economic dignity of Pakistan’s rural communities.
Chairing a high-level review meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister stressed that small farmers deserve respect and full facilitation, especially when applying for low-cost agricultural loans. “Small-scale farmers face immense challenges in securing affordable credit,” he said. “Providing them with easy access to concessional financing is one of our top priorities.”
PM Shehbaz directed authorities to speed up reforms in Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL). He also urged private banks to play a stronger role by offering low-cost agricultural loans on easier terms to support the farming sector.
The prime minister announced that he would personally chair review meetings every three weeks to track progress on loan facilitation reforms and ZTBL’s performance. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to agricultural development through financial inclusion, institutional support, and practical measures aimed at empowering small farmers.
Officials briefed PM Shehbaz on ZTBL’s ongoing reform efforts, its current performance, and strategies to improve agri-lending. The meeting also reviewed how private banks can expand their role in providing concessional credit to the agriculture sector.
Key attendees included Federal Ministers Rana Tanveer Hussain and Ahsan Iqbal, PM’s Advisors Muhammad Ali and Haroon Akhtar, Ministers of State Bilal Azhar Kayani and Abdul Rehman Kanju, Governor State Bank Jameel Ahmad, MNA Iftikhar Nazir, and PM’s Coordinator Musharraf Zaidi.
