ISLAMABAD, Jan 30: Federal Minister for Board of Investment, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, held discussions with representatives from Silkway Impex Pvt. Ltd. and a high-level Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) delegation, led by Mr. Deng Yubin, Head of BRI for Yunnan Province. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral investment cooperation between Pakistan and China.
Welcoming the delegates, the Minister emphasized the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China, underscored by robust economic and strategic cooperation.
He highlighted collaborative efforts across multiple sectors, noting that investment-driven partnerships are fundamental to bilateral relations. The Minister emphasized Pakistan’s significant potential in the mineral, agriculture, digital, technology, and manufacturing sectors, particularly stressing the importance of minerals at the Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum, which aims to boost collaboration in this sector.
He noted the country’s rich mineral resources and expressed a commitment to developing integrated mineral value chains, including exploration and industrial development.
The Chinese delegation showed great interest in mineral development, with a focus on copper and other strategic minerals, aligning with Pakistan’s economic vision for long-term investment opportunities.
Dr. Erfa Iqbal, Additional Secretary of the Board of Investment, described the Belt and Road Initiative as transformative for the region. She outlined Pakistan’s priority sectors for investment and stressed the facilitative role of the BOI, focusing on digitalization, agriculture, minerals, and technology-driven industries.
She highlighted Pakistan’s incentives, such as Special Technology Zones (STZs) for technology-based industries and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for manufacturing projects, ensuring effective facilitation for investors.
In the agriculture sector, she noted that Pakistan encourages investment that enhances yield, quality, research, and modern technology adoption. Several Chinese firms are already transforming barren lands, including areas like Cholistan, into fertile landscapes.
Representatives of Silkway Impex, including Managing Directors Mr. Raja Taimur Rehman, Mr. Selman Pataudi, and Mr. Raja Hashim Rehman, showcased the company’s role in linking international partners with Pakistani stakeholders.
Professor Haitao Yuan, Chief Geologist of Silkway Impex, shared a vision for developing Pakistan’s first internationally stock-listed mining company, underscoring geological knowledge, transparency, exploration techniques, compliance standards, and market discipline as key to attracting global investment.
The Federal Minister assured full support from the Board of Investment for foreign investors, emphasizing continued dialogue to enhance Pakistan–China economic cooperation under the Belt and Road framework.
