ISTANBUL: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with senior executives of leading Turkish business groups and industry organizations in Istanbul, inviting them to expand investments in Pakistan and reaffirming his government’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with Türkiye.
During separate meetings with Çalık Holding Chairman Ahmet Çalık, Albayrak Group Chairman Ahmet Albayrak and Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Sharif emphasized the importance of transforming the longstanding political ties between the two countries into a stronger economic and investment partnership.
The prime minister highlighted Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators, investor-friendly policy framework and the government’s commitment to ensuring a transparent, predictable and business-friendly investment climate.
Sharif invited Turkish companies to increase investments in priority sectors, including energy, mining and minerals, infrastructure, maritime and logistics, information technology, telecommunications, manufacturing, agriculture and privatization.
He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is providing strategic investors with one-window facilitation and institutional support in coordination with federal and provincial authorities.
In his meeting with Çalık Holding, Sharif highlighted investment opportunities in energy, infrastructure, information technology and privatization, welcoming the company’s interest in expanding its operations in Pakistan. He said the group’s existing presence through Çalık Enerji and GAP Ä°nÅŸaat provides a strong foundation for deeper cooperation.
The prime minister also praised Albayrak Group’s longstanding operations in Pakistan and encouraged the company to expand its investments in maritime infrastructure, port modernization and logistics, acknowledging its contribution to the country’s connectivity and infrastructure development.
During talks with TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Sharif proposed establishing a structured institutional mechanism to strengthen business-to-business engagement between Pakistan and Türkiye. He also invited TOBB to lead a high-level business delegation to Pakistan to explore emerging investment opportunities firsthand.
Turkish business leaders welcomed Pakistan’s economic reforms, improvements in the investment climate and investor-friendly policies.
More read, PM Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Istanbul for Türkiye visit
They expressed confidence in Pakistan’s economic outlook and reaffirmed their interest in expanding investments and fostering long-term partnerships across multiple strategic sectors.
