Islamabad: Federal Minister for Board of Investment, Mr. Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, held a meeting with a delegation of 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, to discuss enhanced bilateral investment cooperation between Pakistan and China.
Welcoming the delegation, the Federal Minister stated that Pakistan–China friendship has a long history and continues to grow stronger through close economic and strategic cooperation. He emphasized that both countries enjoy collaboration across multiple sectors and that investment-led partnerships remain a key pillar of bilateral relations.
The Minister highlighted Pakistan’s vast potential in minerals and mining, agriculture, digitalization, technology, and manufacturing, and referred to minerals as a priority sector, recalling the recently held Pak-China Mineral Cooperation Forum, which provided a strong platform for strengthening bilateral collaboration in the mineral sector. He noted that Pakistan is rich in mineral resources and aims to develop integrated mineral value chains, including exploration, processing, beneficiation, and downstream industrial development.
The Chinese delegation expressed keen interest in mineral development, particularly copper and other strategic minerals, and shared their intent to pursue long-term investment opportunities aligned with Pakistan’s economic and industrial vision.
Dr. Erfa Iqbal, Additional Secretary, Board of Investment, welcomed the delegation and described the Belt and Road Initiative as a game changer for the region. She briefed the delegation on Pakistan’s priority investment sectors and the facilitative role of BOI, highlighting areas such as digitalization, agriculture, minerals, and technology-driven industries. She informed the delegation about Pakistan’s incentive framework, including Special Technology Zones (STZs) for technology and research-based industries and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for manufacturing and industrial projects. She added that BOI stands ready to connect investors with relevant federal and provincial stakeholders to ensure effective facilitation.
On agriculture, she noted that Pakistan encourages investments focused on yield enhancement, quality improvement, research, and the introduction of modern technology, and highlighted that several Chinese companies are already collaborating on projects aimed at converting barren land into fertile agricultural areas, including regions such as Cholistan.
Silkway Impex was represented by its Managing Directors Mr. Raja Taimur Rehman, Mr. Selman Pataudi, and Mr. Raja Hashim Rehman, who briefed the Minister on Silkway’s role as a structured facilitation platform connecting international partners with Pakistan’s public and private sector stakeholders in a compliant and institutionally aligned manner. The delegation also included Professor Haitao Yuan, Chief Geologist of Silkway Impex, who shared a long-term vision for the development of Pakistan’s mineral sector, including the establishment of Pakistan’s first internationally stock-listed mining company. He emphasized the importance of strong geological foundations, transparency, modern exploration techniques, international compliance standards, and capital-market discipline to position Pakistan’s mining sector on the global investment map.
Reaffirming the Government’s commitment, the Federal Minister reiterated that the Board of Investment will extend full facilitation and support to foreign investors and assured that BOI will assist the delegation in whichever sector they intend to invest. The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to continued dialogue and coordination to advance mutually beneficial investment initiatives under the Belt and Road framework, further strengthening Pakistan–China economic cooperation.
