ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Commerce Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz on Wednesday discussed enhancing bilateral trade and investment with Saudi Arabia in various sectors such as construction, infrastructure and digital economy, the commerce ministry said.
Ejaz met Saudi Arabia’s commerce minister, Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, as he led a delegation of prominent Pakistani businesspersons in the kingdom on Wednesday. Members of the delegation included notable Pakistani businessperson Arif Habib and the president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, (FPCCI) Atif Ikram.
“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia agreed on enhancing bilateral trade,” Pakistan’s commerce ministry said. “The two sides agreed to enhance investment in the fields of construction, digital economy and infrastructure.”
In a message on social media platform X, Al-Qasabi said he and Ejaz discussed developing bilateral trade relations and “investing in promising opportunities” in the two countries.
Last year a delegation of 15 top Pakistani IT companies led by IT Minister Dr. Umar Saif visited Saudi Arabia and signed deals to accelerate digital transformation, foster innovation and advance digital infrastructure.
The agreements will also boost the ecosystems for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups and encourage the transfer of businesses and the exchange of information on accelerators and incubators.
Both countries have also decided to establish a special task force to promote Saudi-Pakistan digital cooperation.
Pakistan enjoys strong economic and trade relations with Saudi Arabia. The kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates, serving as the top source of remittances for the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Saudi Arabia has also frequently bailed Pakistan out of its economic crisis over the years, serving as an important strategic partner for the South Asian country.
Pakistani, Saudi commerce ministers agree to enhance bilateral trade, investment
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Pakistani, Saudi commerce ministers agree to enhance bilateral trade, investment
- Commerce Minister Dr. Gohar Ejaz is leading a delegation of prominent Pakistani businesspersons in Saudi Arabia
- Both sides agreed to increase investment in construction, digital economy sectors, says Pakistani commerce ministry
Death toll in Pakistan wedding suicide blast rises to six
- Attack targeted members of local peace committee in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan
- Peace committees are community-based groups that report militant activity to security forces
PESHAWAR: The death toll from a suicide bombing at a wedding ceremony in northwestern Pakistan rose to six, police said on Saturday, after funeral prayers were held for those killed in the attack a day earlier.
The bomber detonated explosives during a wedding gathering in the Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, injuring more than a dozen, some of them critically.
“The death toll has surged to six,” said Nawab Khan, Superintendent of Police for Saddar Dera Ismail Khan. “Police have completed the formalities and registered the case against unidentified attackers.”
“It was a suicide attack and the Counter Terrorism Department will further investigate the case,” he continued, adding that security had been stepped up across the district to prevent further incidents.
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far.
Khan cautioned against speculation, citing ongoing militancy in the area, and said the investigation was being treated with “utmost seriousness.”
The explosion targeted the home of a member of a local peace committee, which is part of community-based groups that cooperate with security forces and whose members have frequently been targeted by militants in the past.
Some media reports also cited a death toll of seven, quoting police authorities.
Emergency officials said several of the wounded were taken to hospital soon after the blast.
Militant attacks have intensified in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021, with Islamabad accusing Afghan authorities of “facilitating” cross-border assaults, a charge Kabul denies.
