ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Turkish companies to invest in the country’s energy, mining, infrastructure, maritime, telecommunications and agriculture sectors, his office said on Saturday, as Islamabad and Ankara move to strengthen economic cooperation.
Pakistan and Türkiye maintain close political, economic, and defense ties. Both countries are also members of the R-4, a diplomatic framework launched in March by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Pakistan to coordinate positions on regional crises.
PM Sharif is visiting Istanbul on the invitation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, where he is due to hold talks on trade, investment and regional security, according to the Pakistan premier’s office.
The prime minister held separate meetings with prominent Turkish business leaders, including Çalık Holding Chairman Ahmet Çalık, Albayrak Group Chairman Ahmet Albayrak, and Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB).
“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,” Sharif’s office said.
He highlighted opportunities in Pakistan’s energy, infrastructure, information technology, and privatization sectors during his meeting with Çalık Holding, while the prime minister urged Albayrak Group to expand its investments in maritime infrastructure, port modernization, and logistics.
Sharif also held a meeting with Chief Executive Officer of Turkcell, Ali Taha Koç, during which he underscored the importance of deepening Pakistan–Türkiye cooperation in the digital and technology sectors.
“He shared the Government’s vision of establishing a Pakistan–Türkiye Digital Corridor to strengthen regional digital connectivity, facilitate secure cross-border data flows, and advance the integration of digital infrastructure,” Sharif’s office said.
“The Prime Minister invited Turkcell to explore long-term collaboration with Pakistani institutions in areas including 5G deployment, network optimization, spectrum management, digital infrastructure and technology transfer. He also encouraged the company to consider partnerships in the local manufacturing of telecommunications equipment, software development, digital skills development and capacity building,” it said.
“Koç appreciated the Government of Pakistan’s forward-looking digital transformation agenda and expressed Turkcell’s keen interest in exploring opportunities for collaboration in telecommunications, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.”
During his trip, Sharif is also scheduled to address a Pakistan-hosted business conference highlighting investment opportunities in special economic zones and energy, IT and privatization sectors.
Both sides have been expanding cooperation in the energy sector, including deep-sea drilling and exploration, as Pakistan seeks foreign investment to tackle energy shortages, cut fuel imports, and tap its mineral resources. Islamabad is also acquiring four Turkish-designed corvettes, with two being built at Karachi Shipyard with Turkish support, and exploring Turkish armed drones along with joint work in avionics, propulsion, and surveillance systems.
Sharif last visited Türkiye in April during the final leg of his Middle East diplomacy tour as Islamabad pushed for a diplomatic resolution to the US-Israeli war on Iran.
