ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate meetings with senior representatives of Türkiye’s leading business groups in Istanbul on Saturday, with both sides agreeing to further strengthen economic cooperation and expand investment between the two countries.
During his meetings with executives from Çalık Holding, Albayrak Group and the president of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB), the prime minister invited Turkish investors to increase their investments in Pakistan and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to making the country an investor-friendly and business-friendly destination.
PM Shehbaz said Pakistan’s overall economic indicators were improving and stressed that the government was providing a transparent, reliable and business-friendly investment environment. He highlighted the country’s vast investment potential, particularly in the energy, mining, minerals and infrastructure sectors, while also encouraging greater investment in maritime affairs, logistics, information technology and communications.
The prime minister also briefed the Turkish business leaders on opportunities in manufacturing, agriculture and the privatisation programme, noting that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) was providing investors with one-window facilitation by coordinating with federal and provincial institutions.
In his meeting with Çalık Holding, PM Shehbaz invited the company to expand its operations in Pakistan, saying the existing presence of Çalık Energy and Gap İnşaat had created a strong foundation for deeper cooperation. He said significant opportunities were available in the energy, information technology, infrastructure and privatisation sectors.
During talks with the Albayrak Group, the prime minister praised the company’s long-standing contribution to Pakistan’s development and encouraged it to increase investment in ports, maritime infrastructure and logistics. He also acknowledged the group’s role in improving Pakistan’s transport connectivity and infrastructure.
Meeting separately with the president of TOBB, PM Shehbaz discussed ways to deepen business-to-business ties between Pakistan and Türkiye. He proposed establishing a permanent institutional mechanism to strengthen cooperation between the private sectors of both countries and invited TOBB to lead a high-level business delegation to Pakistan so Turkish investors could directly explore investment opportunities.
The Turkish business leaders welcomed Pakistan’s ongoing economic reforms and expressed satisfaction with improvements in the country’s investment climate. They also voiced confidence in Pakistan’s economic direction, reiterated their interest in expanding investments across several key sectors and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the long-term economic partnership between Pakistan and Türkiye.
About The Author
