Govt to share list of 250 Pakistani business houses with Egypt

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Sunday that Pakistan will share a list of 250 leading Pakistani business houses with Egypt to boost bilateral commercial engagement.

Speaking at a joint press conference alongside Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, Dar said both sides held “very focused” discussions on strengthening business-to-business cooperation. At present, the volume of trade between Pakistan and Egypt stands at approximately $300 million, he said.

“We have agreed that Pakistan will share with Egypt a comprehensive list of 250 Pakistani business houses, which represent key sectors of the economy. The business house will be selected from across the board and through due consultation and led by the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI)”, he said, it would be a very transparent selection of those who really deserve and are willing to work and cooperate and enhance the business.

Egyptian foreign minister due in Pakistan today

He said that these 250 Pakistani business houses represent key sectors of the economy, which will initially be prepared by the FPCCI in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce of Pakistan. These businesses will be facilitated and supported to enhance bilateral and commercial engagements, he said, adding these businesses will be declared after due diligence in Egypt as white list, so the complaint of waiting too long for getting business visa which is being received by the Foreign Office (FO) very frequently will cease at least to the extent of these top 250 business.

Dar further said that in a six-month period, after three months have passed since the first list, Islamabad would prepare another 250 businesses to take the original list to 500. After that step, a new Pakistan-Egypt Business Council will be established to institutionalise private sector cooperation and promote mutually beneficial commercial partnerships and B2B business promotion between Pakistan and Egypt.

“When these two steps are done Pakistan and Business forum will also be established. That will be co chaired by the two foreign ministers. Its first meeting will be convened in Cairo in the second quarter of 2026 to advance trade, investment, and economic collaboration”, he said.

Dar also acknowledged with little embarrassment that since 2010, the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting between Egypt and Pakistan has not taken place. We have decided that in the first quarter of 2026, the senior officials will hold bilateral political consultations, he said.

Dar said that Egypt has nominated one of the assistant ministers to head the Egyptian delegation and from the Pakistani side, the foreign secretary of Pakistan, who will lead the bilateral political consultation. They will do the entire preparatory work and agenda for the JMC meeting, which has not taken place for 15 years, he said.

He said that Egyptian PM Badr Abdelatty announced doubling the scholarship for scholars of Pakistan who wanted to study in Al-Azhar University.

The scholarship will be doubled this year, and the main focus will be on the Quran while staying in the religious domain. Al-Azhar University offers courses on how to eliminate terrorism, so these scholars and religious leaders who will avail these scholarships will get trained as per the Quran on how to take on this menace rooted out from Pakistan.

“Discussions today reaffirm the strength of Pakistan-Egypt relations, and our shared commitment to further enhance bilateral cooperation across political, economic, defence, cultural and people-to-people domains,” Dar said.

He said that we agreed to work towards a more structured framework of cooperation and to explore new avenues of partnership, the deputy premier noted, adding he was confident that the visit would “open new avenues of practical cooperation” between the two countries.

Dar noted that the two leaders also assessed the regional developments, with “particular focus on the grave situation in Gaza”. “Pakistan appreciates Egypt’s vital role in humanitarian support, mediation efforts and diplomatic engagement to uphold the ceasefire and safeguard the rights of the Palestinian people.”

He said that Pakistan values Egypt as a key partner in the Muslim world and looks forward to continue engagement at all levels. The two ministers also discussed India-occupied Kashmir, Afghanistan and cooperation at multilateral fora.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Abdelatty termed Pakistan his “second home country” and conveyed Egypt’s condolences over the “tragic loss of lives and injuries” in the recent terrorist attacks in the Islamabad district court and at Federal Constabulary (FC) headquarters in Peshawar.

He said that we stand in full solidarity with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. “I would also like to convey our deep appreciation of our very cordial relation with Pakistan,” he said, acknowledging “common challenges” on the economic, political and security levels.

“That, of course, encourages us to work together and to cooperate in terms of exchange of best practices and expertise to help each other, and to confirm that stability and peace and development are the main pillars of our strategic partnership,” Abdelatty said.

He expressed Egypt’s willingness to “reinvigorate the existing institutional mechanism of dialogue and cooperation” between Pakistan and Egypt, especially the Joint Ministerial Committee, whose last meeting was held in Cairo in 2010.

“So it’s timely now to convene the upcoming joint committee meeting. We would also like to agree on a roadmap for our cooperation, which will cover all areas of cooperation — political, economic, investment, trade, security, religious and cultural dimensions.”

He said that President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had instructed him to further enhance bilateral cooperation with Islamabad.

According to an official statement issued by Foreign Office (FO) the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Dr. Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty, undertook an official visit to Pakistan from November 29–30 at the invitation of Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Pakistan.

It says that Dr Badr Abdelatty also called on President Asif Ali Zardari. The President underscored the historic ties between Pakistan and Egypt and conveyed Pakistan’s desire to elevate the partnership across all domains. Views were exchanged on matters of bilateral cooperation, regional stability, and the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The President appreciated Egypt’s leadership and constructive diplomatic engagement on issues of regional importance.

It says that the Egyptian Foreign Minister also held a meeting with the Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, at General Headquarters. Discussions focused on defence and security cooperation, military exchanges, training collaborations, and regional peace and stability. Both sides reaffirmed the importance of continued high-level engagement between the armed forces of the two countries, it says.

The statement says that Dr Badr Abdelatty also interacted with members of Pakistan’s business community during his engagements in Islamabad, highlighting the potential for expanding trade and investment partnerships.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025