Sindh woos ASEAN, Portuguese for trade

CM seeks expertise for Karachi's water, football in Lyari

From desalination plants to football coaching, Sindh is seeking to broaden its international partnerships, inviting businesses from Southeast Asia and Portugal to invest in the province and collaborate in agriculture, energy, technology, tourism and sports.

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah extended the invitation during separate meetings with a high-level ASEAN delegation and Portuguese Ambassador to Pakistan Paulo Domingues at the Chief Minister's House on Friday.

Leading the ASEAN delegation, Philippine Ambassador Dr Emmanuel R Fernandez, who also chairs the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad, was accompanied by diplomats from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei Darussalam.

CM Shah urged ASEAN countries to explore investment opportunities in agriculture, food processing, pharmaceuticals, information technology, energy, minerals, industry, logistics and tourism. He said Sindh, particularly Karachi, offered investors access to a large domestic market, an established industrial base, port infrastructure and skilled manpower.

The diplomats discussed expanding bilateral trade, attracting investment and promoting cultural and educational exchanges. Murad said Pakistan and the Philippines had maintained friendly relations since establishing diplomatic ties in 1949, adding that the second session of their Joint Economic Commission, held in Manila on February 19, 2026, offered opportunities to advance trade and investment. Welcoming the Philippine ambassador's interest in raising bilateral trade to $500 million, he identified rice trade, seed development, agricultural technology, food processing, pharmaceuticals and energy as potential areas of cooperation.

In his meeting with the Portuguese ambassador, CM Shah sought international expertise to address Karachi's growing water needs, proposing that Portuguese companies specialising in desalination be linked with the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC).