PC RECEIVES OVER WHELMING RESPONSE FOR OFFER OF 3.2 % NBP SHARES IN EXCESS OF RS. 1.21 BILLION

Islamabad, October 17, 2003

The third subscription for the sale of the Public Offer for National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) shares opened from Monday October 13, 2003, which concluded on October 15, 2003 received over whelming response.

The applications in excess of worth Rs. 1.21 billion, double than the required amount of Rs. 604 million for the offered 13.1 million shares, were received within the stipulated period. The heavily oversubscribed response to the government's offer of NBP shares demonstrates the confidence reposed by the general public and investors in the government's consistency and continuity of sustained economic and investment policies and has lent considerable support to the government's privatisation initiatives.

Subsequent to the subscription process, all applicants shall initially be allotted 500 shares each, irrespective of the size of their applications. The remaining shares, if any, shall be allocated to the larger applicants on prorata basis. The offer price was fixed with the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Privatisation (CCOP) at Rs. 46/= per share. Elixir Securities and Taseer Hadi Khalid & Co (co- Lead Mangers) are processing the transaction.

The government offered 3.2 % (13.13 million) additional shares of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to the general public through the third offer for sale of the Bank's shares.