ISLAMABAD — President Asif Ali Zardari has officially approved the Special Economic Zones (Amendment) Bill 2026. Passed by both houses of Parliament, the new legislation replaces the previous temporary ordinance and completely upgrades Pakistan’s fiscal policy framework. The amended law establishes an investor-friendly dispute resolution mechanism and legally binds federal and provincial governments to provide road access and basic utilities (gas, electricity, telecom) at government expense for public SEZs. Crucially, the Board of Investment (BOI) can now extend these government-funded utility provisions to private developers on a case-by-case basis, triggering a massive real estate and industrial boom.
