highlighting Pakistan’s improved macroeconomic fundamentals, investor-friendly policy framework
Prime Minister Shehbaz meets with a delegation from Calık Holding led by the group’s chairman Mr. Ahmet Calık in Istanbul. Photo: X
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday held a series of meetings with top executives from Turkey’s leading business groups and industry organizations in Istanbul, reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation and attracting greater Turkish investment across 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, with discussions set to focus on strengthening cooperation in trade, investment and regional security.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister met Calık Holdings Chairman Ahmet Calık, Albayrak Group Chairman Ahmet Albayrak and Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkiye (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu.
During the meetings, the Prime Minister emphasized the deep-rooted fraternal ties between Pakistan and Turkiye and emphasized the importance of translating the exceptional relationship of the two countries into a stronger economic and investment partnership, the PMO said.
He highlighted Pakistan’s improved 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, maritime and logistics, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture and privatization.
Read: Prime Minister in Istanbul on a bilateral visit
He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), working in close coordination with the relevant federal and provincial authorities, continued to provide one-stop 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, saying that its existing presence through Calık Enerji and GAP İnşaat provided a strong basis for deeper cooperation.
In his meeting with Albayrak Group, the prime minister appreciated the company’s long-standing commitment to Pakistan and urged it to further expand its investments in maritime infrastructure, modernization of ports and logistics, recognizing its contribution to Pakistan’s connectivity and infrastructure development, the PMO said.
According to the PMO, the Prime Minister also met TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoglu and appreciated the organization’s continued efforts to strengthen business-to-business engagement between Pakistan and Turkiye. He suggested 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 new investment opportunities on its own.
The Turkish business leaders appreciated the Pakistan government’s economic reforms, improving 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 across a number of strategic sectors, contributing to the growing economic partnership between Pakistan and Turkey.
