Pakistan pitches IT, agriculture, minerals, energy to global investors

At the World Investment Conference in Geneva on November 11, Federal Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh presented Pakistan as a destination for international capital, highlighting information technology, agriculture, minerals, renewable power, pharmaceuticals and tourism. Mettis Global reported that he also identified infrastructure, logistics, textiles, manufacturing and food processing as areas for potential investment.

Sheikh cited more than 500 government rule changes across around 30 sectors, and Islamabad’s Business Facilitation Centre, which has assisted 5,386 businesses in its first eight months. The centre handled 4,555 approvals and NOCs, supported investment of Rs5.08bn and helped sustain 15,680 jobs, according to the report. He also outlined foreign-investment provisions, including permission for full foreign ownership in many industries, and tax and customs concessions for eligible Special Economic Zone businesses.