PM Shehbaz Seeks Gates Foundation Partnership for Economic Empowerment

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has proposed targeted cooperation with the Gates Foundation on women’s financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
• He praised the foundation’s support in polio eradication, healthcare, nutrition, digital payments and assistance for vulnerable communities.
• The prime minister said a cashless economy would improve transparency and ensure public funds reach eligible recipients efficiently.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for deeper cooperation with the Gates Foundation on initiatives supporting economic self-reliance, particularly the financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women.

He expressed these views during a meeting with a Gates Foundation delegation in Islamabad that included Kalpana Kochhar and Anita Zaidi. The two sides discussed ways to strengthen their existing cooperation and make the partnership more effective.

وزیرِ اعظم محمد شہباز شریف سے گیٹس فاؤنڈیشن کے وفد کی اسلام آباد میں ملاقات ہوئی. وفد میں گیٹس فاؤنڈیشن کی نمائندگان کلپنا کوچر اور انیتا زیدی شامل تھیں.

وزیراعظم محمد شہباز شریف نے پاکستان کے ترقیاتی چیلنجز کے دوران گیٹس فاؤنڈیشن کی مسلسل معاونت اور شراکت داری کو سراہا.

گفتگو… pic.twitter.com/SIpZJKWTEa

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 10, 2026

The prime minister praised the foundation for continuing to support Pakistan through its development challenges. He highlighted its contributions to polio eradication, public health, nutrition, financial inclusion and the welfare of vulnerable sections of society.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating polio, Shehbaz said the national eradication programme enjoyed support at the highest levels of government. He stressed that the country remained firmly committed to achieving the shared goal of becoming polio-free.

The prime minister identified digital payments, food security, maternal and newborn healthcare, poverty reduction and climate change as major priorities under the government’s reform and governance agenda.

He described the transition toward a cashless economy as a central element of the government’s broader transformation strategy. The Cashless Pakistan initiative, he said, was intended to simplify daily life for citizens, strengthen transparency within the public sector and ensure financial assistance reached eligible people promptly and without waste.

Shehbaz said cooperation between the government and the Gates Foundation had already contributed to expanding the use of digital payments across the country.