ADB Vice President Yingming Yang Meets PM Shehbaz Sharif, Discusses Pakistan’s Development Priorities

ML-1 railway upgrade, private sector growth, energy and food security, exports, AI and IT among key areas discussed under ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy 2026–2030

ISLAMABAD, September 4, 2026 — Nazrana Times: 

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Friday held a breakfast meeting with Asian Development Bank (ADB) Vice President for South, Central and West Asia, Yingming Yang, with discussions focusing on Pakistan’s development priorities, economic reforms and future cooperation under the ADB’s new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) 2026–2030.
The meeting reviewed the decades-long development partnership between Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank and identified priority areas where cooperation could be expanded to support sustainable economic growth and improve public services.
Welcoming Yang on his first official visit to Pakistan in his current capacity, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appreciated the ADB’s longstanding partnership, professionalism and responsiveness in supporting major urban infrastructure, transport and public service projects across the country.

PM Highlights Pakistan’s Economic Turnaround

During the meeting, the prime minister highlighted the government’s fiscal, structural and governance reforms, saying Pakistan had successfully navigated a challenging period of economic adjustment.
He said these corrective measures had helped restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen investor confidence and contributed to stable outlook upgrades from major international credit rating agencies, including Fitch, Moody’s and S&P.
Reaffirming his government’s commitment to long-term economic transformation, Shehbaz Sharif said administrative bottlenecks were being actively removed through dedicated execution task forces to accelerate implementation of key development projects.

ML-1 Railway Upgrade a Key National Priority

The modernization of Pakistan Railways’ Main Line-1 (ML-1), connecting Karachi with Peshawar, emerged as a major focus of the discussions.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stressed that upgrading the ML-1 railway corridor was essential to modernizing Pakistan’s freight and logistics network, strengthening regional trade connectivity and supporting major industrial initiatives.
The two sides also discussed the importance of an early groundbreaking for the ML-1 project, given its significance for infrastructure development and modern connectivity across the country.

Cooperation in AI, IT, Energy and Export Competitiveness

The meeting also explored opportunities to broaden cooperation between Pakistan and the ADB across several strategic sectors.
Discussions covered greater support for the private sector, energy security, food security, export competitiveness, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information Technology (IT).
Both sides examined how cooperation in these areas could contribute to Pakistan’s long-term economic transformation, improve competitiveness and create a stronger foundation for sustainable development.

CPS 2026–2030 to Focus on High-Impact Development

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their commitment to translating the priorities identified under the ADB Country Partnership Strategy 2026–2030 into concrete and high-impact development outcomes.
The shared objective is to promote sustainable economic growth while ensuring that development initiatives lead to visible improvements in the living standards of people across Pakistan.