Shehbaz Sharif invites Turkcell to explore long-term digital partnership with Pakistan

Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has invited Turkish telecommunications company Turkcell to explore long-term collaboration with Pakistani institutions in digital technology and telecommunications.

The invitation came during a meeting with Turkcell Chief Executive Officer Ali Taha Koç in Istanbul on Thursday.

During the meeting, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the importance of deepening Pakistan-Türkiye cooperation in the digital and technology sectors. He also shared his government's vision of establishing a Pakistan-Türkiye Digital Corridor to enhance regional digital connectivity, facilitate secure cross-border data flows and strengthen digital infrastructure integration.

Shehbaz invited Turkcell to explore cooperation in areas including 5G deployment, network optimisation, spectrum management, digital infrastructure and technology transfer.

He also encouraged the company to consider partnerships in the local manufacturing of telecommunications equipment, software development, digital skills development and capacity building, saying such cooperation would strengthen Pakistan's technology ecosystem while creating opportunities for innovation, employment and sustainable growth.

The prime minister reaffirmed his government's commitment to maintaining a transparent, predictable and investment-friendly business environment, supported by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), to facilitate strategic investments in high-value sectors, particularly information and communication technologies.

Ali Taha Koç welcomed Pakistan's digital transformation agenda and expressed Turkcell's interest in exploring opportunities for collaboration in telecommunications, digital infrastructure and emerging technologies.

He reaffirmed the company's commitment to working closely with relevant Pakistani stakeholders to develop mutually beneficial partnerships that would contribute to the shared economic and technological aspirations of Pakistan and Türkiye.