Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Board of Investment, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, met with a delegation of Silkway Impex and a Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) delegation to explore expanded avenues for bilateral investment cooperation.
The Chinese delegation was led by Deng Yubin, Head of BRI for Yunnan Province, and included senior experts and industry representatives.
Welcoming the guests, the Federal Minister underscored the enduring Pakistan–China friendship, describing it as a relationship that continues to grow through strategic, economic, and investment-led collaboration. He noted that partnerships anchored in trade and investment remain a cornerstone of bilateral ties.
Highlighting Pakistan’s investment potential, the Minister pointed to priority sectors such as minerals and mining, agriculture, digitalization, technology, and manufacturing.
He emphasized minerals as a key focus area, recalling the recently held Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum, which laid the groundwork for deeper collaboration.
Pakistan, he said, is rich in mineral resources and is pursuing the development of integrated mineral value chains encompassing exploration, processing, beneficiation, and downstream industries.
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The Chinese delegation expressed strong interest in Pakistan’s mineral sector, particularly copper and other strategic minerals, and conveyed their intention to explore long-term investments aligned with Pakistan’s industrial and economic vision.
Additional Secretary Board of Investment, Dr. Erfa Iqbal, described the Belt and Road Initiative as a “game changer” for regional connectivity and development.
She briefed the delegation on Pakistan’s priority investment sectors and the facilitative role of BOI, highlighting opportunities in digitalization, agriculture, minerals, and technology-driven industries.
She also outlined Pakistan’s incentive framework, including Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for manufacturing and Special Technology Zones (STZs) for research- and innovation-based enterprises, assuring investors of BOI’s full support in coordinating with federal and provincial stakeholders.
On agriculture, Dr. Erfa noted Pakistan’s focus on yield enhancement, quality improvement, and modern technology adoption. She cited ongoing collaborations with Chinese companies aimed at transforming barren regions, including parts of Cholistan, into productive agricultural land.
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Silkway Impex’s Managing Directors Raja Taimur Rehman, Selman Pataudi, and Raja Hashim Rehman briefed the meeting on the company’s role as a structured facilitation platform connecting international partners with Pakistan’s public and private sectors in a compliant and institutionally aligned manner.
Professor Haitao Yuan, Chief Geologist of Silkway Impex, shared a long-term vision for Pakistan’s mineral sector, including plans for the country’s first internationally stock-listed mining company, emphasizing transparency, modern exploration, and global compliance standards.
Concluding the meeting, the Federal Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to facilitating foreign investment, with both sides agreeing to maintain close coordination to advance mutually beneficial projects under the BRI framework, further strengthening Pak–China economic cooperation.
