Pakistan seeks increased investment from Silk Road Fund and overseas citizens

A high-level delegation from the Chinese Silk Road Fund, led by Chairperson Zhu Jun, visited Islamabad to discuss expanding investment in Pakistan. The delegation met with Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, to explore economic ties in sectors including infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, and private-sector development. Zhu Jun noted that the fund has reviewed several private-sector projects in Pakistan and praised the sector's potential.

In a separate development, the Pakistani federal government is considering a dedicated investment platform for overseas Pakistanis. Proposed by Senator Ahad Cheema, the mechanism aims to allow citizens living abroad to invest in commercially viable national infrastructure projects, such as railways and highways, without the need to manage businesses directly. This initiative seeks to channel overseas savings into productive national assets.

The government is also reviewing various projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework, including the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project and the Kharian-Rawalpindi Motorway. While multilateral partners like the Asian Development Bank are being prioritized for certain railway sections, the government is assessing PPP models to accelerate infrastructure development.