Latest news with #RizwanSaeedSheikh
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
No US pressure to recognise Israel, says Pakistan envoy
DALLAS, US: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has stated that there is no pressure from the US on Pakistan to recognise Israel. Speaking at an event here, the ambassador reaffirmed that Pakistan's policy on Israel is firmly rooted in the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 'There is absolutely no pressure from the US regarding recognition of Israel.' Ambassador Sheikh also highlighted improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US, adding that Pakistan has abundant electricity resources available to support investments in cryptocurrency mining and related technologies. ME situation: Rubio telephones PM Commenting on bilateral ties, he said Pakistan-US relations are improving and that both countries are working to strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, energy and technology. About investment opportunities, he pointed out that Pakistan has ample electricity reserves to support ventures like cryptocurrency mining — a sector gaining attention in the global digital economy. Pakistan officially commenced the drafting of a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets last month.
Business Recorder
14-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
No US pressure to recognise Israel, says Pak envoy
DALLAS, US: Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh has stated that there is no pressure from the US on Pakistan to recognise Israel. Speaking at an event here, the ambassador reaffirmed that Pakistan's policy on Israel is firmly rooted in the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 'There is absolutely no pressure from the US regarding recognition of Israel.' Ambassador Sheikh also highlighted improving bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US, adding that Pakistan has abundant electricity resources available to support investments in cryptocurrency mining and related technologies. Commenting on bilateral ties, he said Pakistan-US relations are improving and that both countries are working to strengthen cooperation in areas such as trade, energy and technology. About investment opportunities, he pointed out that Pakistan has ample electricity reserves to support ventures like cryptocurrency mining — a sector gaining attention in the global digital economy. Pakistan officially commenced the drafting of a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital and virtual assets last month.
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pak embassy hosts mango festival in US
Pakistan's Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh introduces the flavours of Pakistani mangoes to Deputy Assistant Secretary Mary Bischoping at the Pakistan Mango Festival in Washington. PHOTO: Express The embassy of Pakistan Thursday hosted its annual Mango Festival, welcoming a large crowd to experience the "king of fruits" at the event that was part of the embassy's public outreach efforts. The gathering included diplomats, US government officials, congressional staff, think-tank members, media representatives, and the Pakistani-American diaspora, according to a press release of the embassy. In his welcoming remarks, Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh highlighted the significance of mangoes in Pakistani culture and society referring to them as "the best mangoes in the world". Pakistan, he said, is the sixth-largest producer globally, with an annual cultivation of approximately 1.8 million metric tons. Speaking at the occasion, Mary Bischoping, Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, thanked Ambassador Sheikh for his continued leadership in strengthening the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship. "For decades, the United States and Pakistan have worked together to address some of the world's most critical issues. Looking forward, we are poised to continue to grow our cooperation across a range of shared interests," said the Deputy Assistant Secretary. Ms. Bischoping also welcomed Pakistan's initiatives to enhance trade and investment and affirmed the US commitment to economic cooperation. "We hope to expand mutually beneficial trade and commercial opportunities, especially in Pakistan's growing critical mineral sector," she said. The Deputy Assistant Secretary also underscored the significant contributions of the Pakistani-American community. "In the United States today, over 700,000 hardworking Pakistani-Americans are invaluable members of American society. Our work at the State Department directly benefits from the patriotism, talent, and passion of this community", she said.
Business Recorder
08-07-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Think Tech, Think Pakistan: A motion to put Pakistan's IT sector on top
The recently concluded 'Tech Destination Pakistan' #ThinkTechThinkPakistan roadshow in June 2025 by Open Global, Pakistan's Ministry of IT, P@SHA, and Pakistan Software Export Board - a multi-country, multi-city swing through London, Dallas, New York City and, concluding at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C.— has done more than just showcase start-ups, tech companies and trade statistics. It is a push to take control of Pakistan's narrative, in the eyes of foreign investors and the Pakistani diaspora alike, from a low-cost outsourcing option into a place of high-value tech innovation. Having addressed audiences in both New York and Washington, I came away convinced that the initiative's momentum is real and just beginning—yet its impact will hinge on how swiftly we translate podium energy into real life transactions. A major piece of that translation is 'talent'. In Washington, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, along with Abu Bakar, CEO of the Pakistan Software Export Board and Sajjad Syed, Chairman of P@SHA, announced a plan to train 56,000 additional high-tech professionals in the next phase of Pakistan's national digital strategy. Even on conservative export-revenue benchmarks, this new target could add more than a billion dollars of growth to the economy. Pakistan's demographic fundamentals make the target credible: the country hosts the world's third largest English speaking population, at this point, a well known global fact that continuously helps onboard global clients. Equally important, we now have success stories that investors recognize as patterns rather than isolated wins - from Pakistani Sualeh Abidi's role in Anysphere's US $10 billion Cursor platform, to the rise of 10Pearls, Systems Limited, and a range of other standout startups and software companies, all validating Pakistan's capability at the technological frontier. Yet talent and resilience alone do not scale; they require institutional handrails. In New York City, Jabran Niaz of Utopia Deals—one of Amazon's top five global sellers—offered the most direct solution: leaders who want durable growth should devote their first five years to building a rigorous HR motion. He then claims his own returns have been astronomical since his company formalized its people-management architecture. At Paismo, we have witnessed the same multiplier: by codifying culture, standardizing performance indicators and deploying AI-enabled support, results can quickly scale. In short, grit must be first streamlined, before it can be monetized. Furthermore, a second frontier was heavily highlighted, the 'AI revolution'. Dr. Naveed Sherwani reminded the Washington audience that access over semiconductor supply chains will increasingly grow in economic importance in the AI era. He pushed the importance of Pakistan working with the GCC region in plans for growth and action. Such alliances would strengthen foreign-exchange partnerships. Tech companies that participated in the roadshow included: Wai Technologies, QBS Co, Sapphire Consulting Services, Woltrio, Horizon Tech, Alfoze, 9Xero Digital, Adsells Advertising, Markaz Technologies, Paismo, PureLogics, Abacus, Code Ninja, Teamo, Mars BPO, Visionary Computer Solutions, Outsource in Pk, ICIL Technologies, and others. The tech ecosystem must now push on these learning imperatives. First, streamline desired HR culture and leadership expectations on day one, and not waiting after the headcount crosses triple digits. Secondly, when a moment of hesitation appears while responding to market motions, leaders should swiftly continue focusing on executing for outcomes. Third, to preserve trust abroad, leaders must continue maintaining and growing ethical practices to preserve relationships, as remote delivery may be efficient, but sealing and maintaining enterprise contracts beckons consistent face-to-face engagement in New York City, Riyadh, Dubai or London. The 'Think Tech Think Pakistan' campaign has succeeded in helping reframe global perceptions. P@SHA (Pakistan IT Industry Association), along with the Ministry of Information Technology & Telecommunication (MoITT), has advocated for institutions to create a greater focus on the Pakistan IT sector and budget for resources, helping ensure that Pakistan's tech companies have the support they need to scale and thrive. And like all powerful narratives, this too — as Abu Bakar rightly said at the conferences — will need to be repeated a million times over, until Pakistan is truly recognized for its tech potential and talent. Here's to building positive momentum, with steady discipline, following through on upskilling current talent, matching newly trained engineers with market demand, embedding professional HR practices, and securing regional partnerships that anchor critical infrastructure. The window of opportunity is wide open, all that remains is for the tech community to seize it, capitalize on it, and most importantly, take care of it.
Express Tribune
21-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
IT potential showcased at US investment conference
Listen to article The embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC on Friday hosted the final sequel of "Pakistan-US Tech Investment Conference 2025," drawing a significant turnout of information technology firms, tech executives, business leaders and entrepreneurs. The day-long event capped the series with earlier sessions in Dallas, Texas and New York City last week, geared towards highlighting Pakistan's growing potential in the IT sector, which was poised to attract foreign investment. The conference was a collaborative effort from the embassy of Pakistan, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) under the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, the Ministry of Commerce (through its trade officers), P@SHA (Pakistan's sole trade association for IT and IT-enabled services) and The Organisation of Pakistani Entrepreneurs (OPEN) Global. In his opening remarks, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Rizwan Saeed Sheikh underscored that the conference was a testament to Pakistan's IT potential and its future ambitions. "The IT sector is the most promising in terms of growth and development. Pakistan is only beginning to unfold its IT potential," the ambassador stated. He highlighted Pakistan's unique position, saying, "Our geography lends us both geopolitical and geo-economic significance and our country has prospered over the past 78 years despite various challenges." Highlighting prospects of collaboration with the US, Sheikh stressed the importance of Pakistan's young, talented population and the profitability of its market for US investors. "Pakistan's IT market offers profit to investors. With a thriving 65% young population below the age of 30, Pakistan and the US have every reason to collaborate in the most futuristic domain, ie, IT. Let's come together as two mega countries and make it happen for the benefit of the whole world," he remarked. The envoy announced an upcoming video series designed to share success stories of Pakistani tech entrepreneurs, aiming to inspire the nation's youth to pursue their dreams in the startup ecosystem. "Pakistan's youth are talented and adept at nurturing startups. They need US mentoring, advisory support and financing for commercial viability of their products," he noted. The conference also featured remarks from Abu Bakar, CEO of PSEB, Sajjad Syed, Chairman of Pakistan Software Houses Association (P@SHA), Tariq Khan, President of OPEN Global and Naveed Shirwani.
