KARACHI: The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) held its CFO Conference 2026 in Karachi on Tuesday, bringing together finance executives, policymakers and business leaders to discuss economic uncertainty, technological change and the evolving role of finance leadership.
The conference, organised by ICAP’s Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Committee under the theme ‘The New Playbook — Adapt, Innovate, Elevate’, focused on issues ranging from Pakistan’s economic outlook to artificial intelligence and investment trends.
In his remarks, ICAP President Samiullah Siddiqui said the role of chief financial officers had expanded beyond traditional financial management to include strategic decision-making amid economic volatility and technological disruption.Junaid Iqbal, founder and chief executive officer of Salt Ventures, delivered a keynote address on leadership and value creation during periods of uncertainty.
A key highlight of the conference was the panel discussion ‘Repricing Risk, Rediscovering Value: Pakistan’s Economic Outlook’, which examined the economic challenges facing Pakistan, such as taxation complexities, policy fragmentation, liquidity constraints and geopolitical volatility, alongside emerging investment opportunities. The panel comprised Vice Chairperson of the Pakistan Business Council Ziad Bashir; COO of Attock Cement Pakistan Ltd Irfan Amanullah; and CFO of JazzWorld Farrukh H Khan; and was moderated by CFO and Company Secretary of Asia Petroleum Limited Fawad Aftab.
The use of artificial intelligence in finance operations was discussed in a presentation by Saad Kaliya, partner for technology consulting and risk assurance at AF Ferguson & Co, Pakistan. Dan Worsley, head of strategy and governance at the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), also addressed the conference on finance leadership in emerging economies.
Other sessions focused on leadership development, capital markets, business resilience and workforce capability in an environment shaped by technological and geopolitical change.The event also included the fourth edition of the Professional Excellence Awards, recognising executives across categories including finance leadership, business leadership and emerging professionals.
Among the recipients were OGDCL Chief Financial Officer Muhammad Anas Farook, Feroze 1888 Mills Chief Financial Officer Javeria Siddiqui, SSGC Managing Director Muhammad Amin and Hoechst Pakistan Chief Executive Officer Sajjad Iftikhar.
