ISTANBUL — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, alongside Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, has initiated high-level diplomatic and corporate engagements in Istanbul, aimed at forging a robust digital partnership and driving strategic investment between Pakistan and Türkiye.

During his visit, the Prime Minister addressed prominent industrial figures and leading business executives, positioning Pakistan as a high-yield destination for technology, infrastructure, and green energy investments.

Redefining the Digital Frontier

A central pillar of the bilateral engagements was the proposal for a Pakistan-Türkiye Digital Corridor.

In an exclusive meeting with Turkcell CEO Ali Taha Koç, Prime Minister Sharif extended an invitation to the telecom giant to explore strategic, long-term collaborations. Key focus areas discussed include:

• 5G Deployment and network optimization.
• Spectrum Management and digital infrastructure development.
• Technology Transfer to strengthen Pakistan’s domestic innovation ecosystem.

Courting Turkish Industrial Giants

The Prime Minister held back-to-back meetings with the leadership of Türkiye’s premier business groups to brief them on Pakistan’s improving macroeconomic indicators and investor-friendly climate:

• Çalık Holding: Discussions focused heavily on energy, infrastructure, information technology, and privatization. The PM welcomed the conglomerate’s interest in deepening its current operations in the country.
• Albayrak Group: Sharif lauded the group’s ongoing contributions to Pakistan’s infrastructure and urged them to expand into maritime logistics, port modernization, and connectivity projects.
• Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB): Meeting with TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, the PM proposed establishing a structured, institutional mechanism for regular private-sector interaction and invited a high-level TOBB delegation to visit Pakistan.

The SIFC Advantage: A “One-Window” Facilitation

Addressing the business leadership, Prime Minister Sharif emphasized that the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) is actively providing a transparent, predictable, and streamlined framework for foreign entities. The council offers an institutional “one-window” mechanism designed to remove bureaucratic bottlenecks, specifically targeting high-value sectors such as Special Economic Zones (SEZs), mining, agriculture, and information technology.

“We are committed to translating the exceptional, deep-rooted brotherly relations between Pakistan and Türkiye into a tangible, future-proof economic and technological partnership,” the Prime Minister stated.

The high-level Turkish corporate leaders expressed strong confidence in Pakistan’s changing economic landscape and reaffirmed their commitment to long-term strategic investments, capitalizing on the newly signed MoUs focused on technical collaboration and institutional knowledge sharing.