Country positioning itself as large-scale investment destination: SAPM

ISLAMABAD: Haroon Akhtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries, said on Tuesday that Pakistan is positioning itself as a large-scale investment destination and a regional gateway to a three-billion-consumer market, urging European firms to move beyond trade into long-term investment.

The European Union, in collaboration with the Pakistani government, inaugurated the first-ever high-level EU-Pakistan Business Forum, marking a key milestone in strengthening bilateral economic ties.

The forum brings together around 1,000 senior policymakers, business leaders, investors and financial institutions from Europe and Pakistan.

With the EU as the world’s largest single market, a leading source of outward foreign direct investment, and Pakistan’s number one export destination, the event represents a major opportunity to deepen the EU-Pakistan economic partnership.

Addressing the forum, Akhtar said the next phase of economic ties must go beyond the trade-focused model under GSP+ towards investment, innovation and industrial integration.

“The future of this partnership lies beyond trade, focusing on investment, technological collaboration, and integration into global value chains,” he said.

“From textiles to technology, and from manufacturing to digital services, Pakistan is ready to move up the value chain and become a trusted partner in global supply systems,” he added.

“The relationship is not new, but it is being renewed,” he said, positioning Pakistan as a reliable partner for European businesses seeking diversification beyond saturated markets.

Highlighting Pakistan’s economic proposition, Akhtar said the country offers scale, connectivity and growing demand, linking South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

He described Pakistan not as a niche opportunity but a market capable of absorbing large-scale investment and partnerships.

The government is pursuing structural reforms to improve the ease of doing business, including tariff rationalization, reduction of regulatory barriers, and measures to enhance industrial competitiveness.

“Pakistan is shifting from protection to productivity and from dependency to competitiveness,” he said, adding that initiatives such as the regulatory guillotine are cutting red tape and lowering business costs.

Industrial revival remains central to the government’s economic strategy, with efforts to expand access to finance, support small and medium enterprises, and channel capital into productive sectors.

Akhtar also highlighted ongoing initiatives to provide investors with policy continuity, infrastructure, special economic zones, and incentives, calling Pakistan a destination offering “peace, certainty and scale.”

The EU remains Pakistan’s largest export market, strengthened under the GSP+ framework, which has improved market access and compliance with international standards.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026