Pakistan–Africa Roundtable Calls for Stronger People-to-People and Economic Ties
ISLAMABAD, September 4, 2026: The DICE Forum organised a roundtable titled “Pakistan–Africa: Building People-to-People Bridges” at the IPC Secretariat in Islamabad on Friday. The event brought together African diplomats, senior government officials, business leaders and institutional representatives to explore practical ways of strengthening relations between Pakistan and African countries.
The roundtable was chaired by Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan, Additional Secretary (Africa), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and hosted by Ms Aliya Agha, Chairperson of the DICE Forum.
The diplomatic participants included H.E. Mohamed Karmoune, Ambassador of Morocco; H.E. Peter Mbogo Njiru, High Commissioner of Kenya; H.E. Fatou Harerimana, High Commissioner of Rwanda; H.E. Titus Mehliswa Jonathan Abu-Basutu, Ambassador of Zimbabwe; and H.E. Munsoo Kurrimbaccus, High Commissioner of Mauritius.
In his remarks, Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan described Africa as an “ocean of opportunity” for Pakistan. He noted that the continent’s population of approximately 1.4 billion, vast natural resources, expanding markets and development needs offered considerable potential for Pakistani businesses.
He stressed that business was the lifeline of sustainable development and called for a shift from broad sectoral discussions to specific, bankable projects, including cable factories, pharmaceutical plants, university campuses, textile units and agricultural ventures. While governments had an important role in creating an enabling environment, he said Pakistan–Africa economic engagement must ultimately be driven by businesses, investors, entrepreneurs and professionals to build sustainable and mutually beneficial partnerships.
Ms Aliya Agha said Pakistan–Africa relations should place equal emphasis on bringing people closer through tourism, education, entrepreneurship, art and cultural exchange. She highlighted the potential for stronger connections among students, businesses and cultural communities, while observing that gaps in information and connectivity continued to shape perceptions on both sides.
She also introduced the DICE Forum as a policy and development platform advancing diplomacy, inclusion, climate action and education through dialogue, partnerships and community-led initiatives.
The event was also attended by Mrs Fatchima Hassane Paraiso, Programme Assistant, OIC-COMSTECH, Uganda; Boniface Njuguna, Commercial Attaché, Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Kenya; and Omar Butt, representing the Consulate of Ghana.
Pakistan’s business and institutional community was represented by Usman Shaukat, President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Zahid Latif Khan, CEO of ZLK and Shahid Iqbal Qureshi, Chairman, Ministry of Industries and Production.
Participants discussed opportunities to strengthen educational and business linkages through joint ventures, cultural exchanges, youth engagement and cooperation on climate resilience. They emphasised the need to move beyond occasional interactions and develop sustained institutional, economic and people-to-people connections between Pakistan and African countries.
