ISLAMABAD: As part of his ongoing visit to China, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan met with the heads of major business groups in Beijing and discussed ways to usher in more investments for the country, officials said on Saturday.
This is Khan’s first official visit to China since assuming office in August this year.
Pakistan is looking to negotiate details for a bailout package with China to tackle its economic problems.China, however, believes that more talks would be needed to finalize any such agreement, Chinese media reported on Saturday.
Following a meeting with the Chinese leadership, Khan met with several senior executives, including Chen Fenjian, Chairman of China Railways Construction Corporation (CRCC), Chen Siqing, Chairman of Bank of China Group (BOCG), Yan Zhiyong, Chairman of Power China, Charles Yang, President of Huawei’s Middle East region and a coterie of other officials.
Highlighting Pakistan’s immense market potential and the geo-strategic advantage of doing business in the country, Khan encouraged business leaders to explore investment opportunities in its diverse socio-economic sectors.
“The prime minister assured maximum facilitation to the Chinese business companies for doing business in Pakistan,” a statement released by Khan’s office read on Saturday.
Additionally, Khan appreciated the business ventures of the Chinese companies in Pakistan particularly the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects.
“He shared his socio-economic reform agenda with the Chinese business leaders and expressed satisfaction over the progress on projects under the CPEC,” the statement added.
The Chinese business leaders, on their part, expressed gratitude for the support extended by Pakistan to companies in the hydropower, renewable energy, construction and infrastructure development sectors.
“The executives expressed their desire to further invest in Pakistan’s socio-economic sectors,” the statement added.
Earlier on Saturday, Khan and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang signed 15 agreements and memorandums of understanding in Beijing, pledging stronger cooperation in fields such as poverty alleviation, agriculture, industry and science.
PM Khan tells China why the time is right to invest in Pakistan
PM Khan tells China why the time is right to invest in Pakistan
- Encourages business leaders to explore opportunities in diverse socio-economic sectors
- Beijing says more talks needed before committing to bailout package
US freezes visa processing for 75 countries, media reports Pakistan included
- State Department announces indefinite pause on immigrant visas starting Jan 21
- Move underscores Trump’s hard-line immigration push despite close Pakistan-US ties
ISLAMABAD: The United States will pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries starting Jan. 21, the State Department said on Wednesday, with Fox News and other media outlets reporting that Pakistan is among the countries affected by the indefinite suspension.
The move comes as the Trump administration presses ahead with a broad immigration crackdown, with Pakistan included among the affected countries despite strong ongoing diplomatic engagement between Islamabad and Washington on economic cooperation, regional diplomacy and security matters.
Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo, said US embassies had been instructed to refuse immigrant visas under existing law while Washington reassesses screening and vetting procedures. The report said the pause would apply indefinitely and covers countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Latin America.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the Department of State said in a post on X.
According to Fox News and Pakistan news outlets like Dawn, the list of affected countries includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Thailand, among others.
“The suspension could delay travel, study, and work plans for thousands of Pakistanis who annually seek US visas. Pakistani consulates in the US are expected to provide guidance to affected applicants in the coming days,” Dawn reported.
A State Department spokesman declined comment when Arab News reached out via email to confirm if Pakistan was on the list.
The Department has not publicly released the full list of countries or clarified which visa categories would be affected, nor has it provided a timeline for when processing could resume.
Trump has made immigration enforcement a central pillar of his agenda since returning to office last year, reviving and expanding the use of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law to restrict entry by migrants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
During his previous term as president, Trump imposed sweeping travel restrictions on several Muslim-majority countries, a policy widely referred to as a “Muslim ban,” which was challenged in US courts before a revised version was upheld by the Supreme Court. That policy was later rescinded under the President Joe Biden administration.
The latest visa freeze marks a renewed hardening of US immigration policy, raising uncertainty for migrants from affected countries as Washington reassesses its screening and vetting procedures.
The freeze on visas comes amid an intensifying crackdown on immigration enforcement by the Trump administration. In Minneapolis last week, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good, a US citizen, during a federal operation, an incident that has drawn nationwide protests and scrutiny of ICE tactics. Family members and local officials have challenged the federal account of the shooting, even as Department of Homeland Security officials defended the agent’s actions. The case has prompted resignations by federal prosecutors and heightened debate over the conduct of immigration enforcement under the current administration.
