ISLAMABAD: Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday said a number of investment agreements, instead of memorandums of understanding (MoUs), will be signed during the Pak-China Pharmaceutical and Healthcare B2B Investment Conference, which begins on Wednesday.

The minister said the agreements would bring significant foreign investment to Pakistan and create employment opportunities and other economic activity. He was addressing a news conference along with Minister for Board of Investment Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh and Prime Minister’s Adviser on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar.

Referring to criticism that MoUs signed in the past often failed to materialise, Mr Kamal said the conference would focus on concrete agreements.

He said the conference would focus on key sectors, including vaccines, biotechnology, the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), medical devices and herbal medicines. Nearly 500 local and international delegates and business representatives are expected to attend to explore investment opportunities in the healthcare sector.

The conference will also feature business-to-business (B2B) meetings, during which investment agreements and joint ventures are expected to be signed. The minister said the government was taking various measures to attract investment and expressed confidence that the conference would prove to be a game changer for Pakistan’s pharmaceutical and healthcare industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Board of Investment Minister Qaiser Ahmed Shaikh said the government was pursuing investor-friendly policies and placing special emphasis on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to promote an export-led economy.

He said a Special Industrial Zone at Port Qasim was also being established, where land would be offered at concessional rates to investors, particularly those planning to export 50 to 70 per cent of their production.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026