PM Shehbaz courts US investors in New York talks
The prime minister told American business councils that Pakistan's economy has stabilised and invited investment in agriculture, IT, mining and ports.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met delegations of the US-Pakistan Business Council (USPBC) and the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) in New York on Thursday, urging American business leaders to consider agriculture, information technology, mining and other sectors in Pakistan.
The delegations included executives from information technology, artificial intelligence, finance, beverages, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and organic products, Express News reported. The prime minister called the two councils the best bridges between Islamabad and Washington and said Pakistan-US relations had improved markedly over the past year. Pakistan's economy had stabilised and was moving towards growth, he said, while long-term peace in the region was essential for business and investment. The meeting focused on investment opportunities, economic reforms and cooperation in several sectors.
He told the meeting that Pakistan is carrying out large-scale structural and policy reforms, digitising the economy and promoting technology and e-governance. In agriculture, he said there was huge investment potential; artificial intelligence, modern technology, machinery and agricultural tools could raise per-acre yields, cut costs and improve efficiency. He described mining and minerals, information technology, artificial intelligence, ports and shipping as important investment sectors. Pakistan is rich in natural mineral resources, he said, and young people are being given vocational training and modern skills.
The prime minister said the government's role is to facilitate the private sector and provide a conducive business environment. He noted that PIA has been privatised and that power distribution companies will also be privatised. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Special Assistants Tariq Fatemi and Bilal bin Saqib, Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Asim Iftikhar and Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Ahmed Sheikh. UrduPoint reported that the prime minister highlighted agriculture, information technology and mining for the US business community.
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