CM invites US investors to explore Punjab’s vast investment opportunities

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday called for opening a new chapter in Pakistan-US relations through investment, technology and innovation, saying Punjab was fully prepared to welcome foreign investors with a business-friendly environment and world-class incentives.

The CM thanked the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) for facilitating the meeting and expressed confidence that it would yield positive outcomes.

“The next chapter of Pakistan-US relations should be driven by investment, technology and innovation, while stronger private-sector collaboration can further deepen bilateral ties,” she said.

READ MORE: Maryam urges US investors to invest in Punjab

The chief minister described Punjab as the engine of Pakistan’s economy, contributing 55.7 percent to the national GDP, 57.5 percent to agriculture, 48 percent to manufacturing and 57.4 percent to the services sector. She said Punjab, home to nearly 130 million people, was Pakistan’s largest province, with 65 percent of its population under the age of 30, providing a dynamic and skilled workforce for long-term economic growth.

Addressing a high-level US business delegation, the chief minister said it was an honour to welcome the delegation comprising representatives from the health, artificial intelligence (AI), information technology (IT), minerals and energy sectors. She noted that the delegation’s visit reflected renewed confidence of American investors in Punjab.

The CM said Punjab hosted 20 Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and two Export Processing Zones, offering investors a strong industrial base. The province, she added, was also the driving force behind Pakistan’s digital economy, supported by a growing IT ecosystem and a large pool of technology professionals.

Highlighting reforms aimed at improving the ease of doing business, the chief minister said Punjab offered a One Government, One Window solution, while the Chief Minister’s Global Investment Gateway would simplify investment procedures. She said SIFC was fast-tracking matters at the federal level, whereas her office ensured timely implementation by provincial departments without bureaucratic delays or red tape.

She said investors in SEZs were entitled to a 10-year income tax exemption and a one-time duty exemption on imported capital goods. Long-term lease arrangements and lease-based land allocation were also available to reduce investment costs. Foreign investors, she added, could avail themselves of 20 percent subsidised lease rates, while additional incentives had been introduced for export-oriented, outsourcing and green production firms.

Maryam Nawaz said the government aimed to integrate more than 15 licensing authorities on a single digital platform, reducing compliance costs by 40 to 60 percent. She highlighted the province’s “Zero Time to Start” policy, allowing businesses to commence operations immediately while regulatory approvals continued in parallel.

The chief minister said Punjab had a wide range of investment-ready projects. She highlighted the Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) project, spread over 140,000 acres along a 46-kilometre stretch of the Ravi River, describing it as one of the largest development projects in Pakistan’s history.

She said the Central Business District (CBD) offered three major investment projects worth USD620 million, while the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar programme would deliver 500,000 affordable housing units, creating significant demand for construction materials and modular building technologies.

Calling healthcare one of her highest priorities, the chief minister said Punjab accounted for nearly 60 percent of the country’s health expenditure.

Construction of Nawaz Sharif Medical City would begin in the coming weeks under a public-private partnership model, providing attractive investment opportunities with assured returns, she added.

She said Punjab was developing agro-processing parks to promote value addition in agriculture, while rural economy initiatives included disease-free feedlot projects and inland shrimp farming across 100,000 acres of uncultivated and saline land.

The chief minister said the province was implementing a large-scale electric mobility programme, including an initial fleet of 1,500 electric buses and e-taxis, creating demand for EV technology and charging infrastructure. She added that the Suthra Punjab initiative was modernising urban and rural sanitation systems, generating investment opportunities in waste management and smart city solutions.

Maryam Nawaz said the government had prepared the Pivot Programme, a three-year economic transformation plan based on six strategic pillars aimed at enhancing value addition and developing competitive industrial clusters. The programme focuses on industrial development, agriculture, livestock, aquaculture, tourism, skills development and IT, she said.

She said the initiative prioritised processing of mangoes, kinnow oranges and potatoes, expansion of agro-processing parks, beef and poultry production, export-oriented dairy and meat industries, as well as shrimp farming and value-added aquaculture projects.

Describing Lahore as a “living museum”, the chief minister said Punjab’s rich cultural and natural heritage offered immense tourism potential. She said the province was working to build advanced skills and technology ecosystems under the Pivot Programme and planned to mobilise USD7.1 billion in investment over the next three years, including USD3.9 billion in public investment and USD3.2 billion from the private sector.

She stressed that Punjab’s future economic growth depended on technology, expressing the desire for greater US partnership in technology transfer and technical cooperation.

The chief minister said Punjab was investing in producing 1.5 million frontier technology graduates, with 40 percent female participation. The initiative would support 1,200 start-ups, benefit 32,000 interns, and provide income-generating skills to six million people.

She highlighted the Nawaz Sharif IT City, spread over 800 acres, as Pakistan’s first IT city and a 10-year tax-free technology hub. She also announced that the Office of AI Punjab would introduce a roadmap for artificial intelligence in governance, healthcare and agriculture, while inviting American partners to participate in the Punjab Startup Fund.

Referring to Punjab’s mineral wealth, Maryam Nawaz said the province possessed 250 million tonnes of iron ore, the world’s second-largest rock pink salt reserves, and confirmed placer gold deposits in all five rivers. She said 262 million tonnes of iron ore and 37 million tonnes of copper had been identified in Chiniot, while a USD900 million iron plant and a USD1.27 billion steel mill were expected to generate 20 percent returns. She also noted that placer gold deposits worth USD4 billion had been identified across 25 square kilometres in Attock.

Concluding her address, the chief minister said Punjab stood at a decisive moment in its economic journey, offering investment-ready opportunities across multiple sectors. She reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to ensuring swift implementation of projects without unnecessary delays.

Earlier, the CM accorded a warm and cordial welcome to the visiting delegation, which comprised prominent business leaders representing the medical, minerals, manufacturing, information technology, industry, hospitality, energy, electronics and marketing sectors.

During the meeting, both sides agreed to further promote mutual investment, strengthen economic ties and expand sustainable trade partnerships between the Punjab government and the US business community.

The US business delegation invited Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz to visit the United States, and she accepted the invitation.

The two sides explored various economic opportunities aimed at promoting investment and enhancing bilateral partnership between Punjab and the United States.

The US delegation described the Suthra Punjab programme as a “game changer.” Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also expressed keen interest in acquiring home dialysis machines to further improve healthcare services in the province.

The delegation additionally expressed interest in cooperation in shrimp farming.

Secretary SIFC Jameel Qureshi briefed the delegation on matters relating to investment and collaboration.

Members of the delegation said Pakistan was fully prepared for business and appreciated the Punjab government’s hospitality and excellent cooperation. They lauded the progress witnessed across Punjab, saying they were deeply impressed by the pace of development in the province.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026