Key Takeaways
- Federal Minister Ahad Khan Cheema met with ADB President Masato Kanda.
- ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy 2026–2030 was approved.
- Focus on private sector-led growth and early completion of ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Pakistan’s Governor to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ahad Khan Cheema, met with ADB President Masato Kanda during the 2026 Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.
The meeting aimed to discuss Pakistan’s development priorities and ways to enhance cooperation under the ADB Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) 2026–2030.
Cheema congratulated Kanda on his re-election for a second term and expressed appreciation for ADB’s longstanding partnership with Pakistan.
Highlighting the importance of private sector-led growth, Cheema called for an expansion of ADB’s non-sovereign operations in Pakistan and a stronger permanent on-ground presence to facilitate investment transactions.
The Pakistan delegation also emphasized the need for affordable development financing and greater flexibility in ADB’s lending framework, alongside expanded private-sector operations and sustained support for Pakistan’s development priorities.
Cheema specifically mentioned the ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project, a strategic investment to modernize Pakistan’s railway corridor and strengthen regional connectivity.
He underlined the need for early completion of the feasibility study and commencement of the procurement process for this flagship project.
Kanda reaffirmed ADB’s continued engagement with Pakistan and committed to helping fast-track the Bank’s institutional processes for the ML-1 project.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their partnership and advancing shared development priorities, expressing resolve to work closely together to accelerate project implementation and deliver sustainable development outcomes for Pakistan.
