Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals and investor-friendly policy framework highlighted
Prime Minister Shehbaz met with a delegation from Calık Holding led by the group’s president, Mr. Ahmet Calık, in Istanbul. Photo:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held a series of meetings with senior executives of major Turkiye business groups and industrial organizations in Istanbul, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation and attracting greater Turkish investment in key sectors of the economy, according to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The prime minister arrived in Istanbul on Friday on a bilateral visit to Türkiye at the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and discussions will focus on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister met with Calık Holding Chairman Ahmet Calık, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Albayrak Group Ahmet Albayrak, and Chairman of the Turkiye Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges (TOBB) Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.
During the meetings, the prime minister underlined the deep-rooted ties of brotherhood between Pakistan and Turkiye and emphasized the importance of translating the two countries’ exceptional relationship into a stronger economic and investment partnership, the PMO said.
He highlighted Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals, investor-friendly policy framework and the government’s commitment to ensuring a transparent, predictable and business-friendly investment environment.
According to the PMO, the prime minister invited Turkish companies to expand their investment footprint in Pakistan’s priority sectors including energy, mining and minerals, infrastructure, shipping and logistics, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture and privatization.
Read: Prime Minister in Istanbul on bilateral visit
He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), working in close coordination with relevant federal and provincial authorities, continued to provide single-window facilitation and institutional support to strategic investors.
During his meeting with Çalık Holding, the prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s opportunities in energy, infrastructure, information technology and privatization, according to the PMO. He also welcomed the company’s interest in expanding its operations in Pakistan and said its current presence through Calık Enerji and GAP İnşaat provided a solid foundation for deeper cooperation.
In his meeting with Albayrak Group, the Prime Minister appreciated the company’s long-standing commitment in Pakistan and encouraged it to further expand its investments in maritime infrastructure, port modernization and logistics, recognizing its contribution to Pakistan’s connectivity and infrastructure development, the PMO said.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister also met with TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu and appreciated the organization’s continuous efforts to strengthen business-to-business engagement between Pakistan and Turkiye. He proposed establishing a structured institutional mechanism for regular interaction between the private sectors of both countries and invited TOBB to lead a high-level business delegation to Pakistan to explore emerging investment opportunities first-hand.
Turkish business leaders appreciated the Pakistani government’s economic reforms, improved investment climate and investor-friendly policies, according to the PMO. They expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic prospects and reaffirmed their interest in expanding investments and developing long-term partnerships in a variety of strategic sectors, contributing to the growing economic partnership between Pakistan and Turkiye.
