Islamabad, Pakistan, 21 January 2026 - The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has reaffirmed its strong partnership with the Government of Pakistan during a high-level mission country visit to Islamabad on 18-21 January 2026 led by IsDB Vice-President Operations, Dr. Rami Ahmad.

The visit featured strategic engagements with senior Pakistani leadership; the closing of the IsDB Country Engagement Framework (2023-2025) for Pakistan with the signing of three major financing agreements approved during this exercise totaling US$603.4 million; alongside site visits to IsDB-financed projects in health, and clean energy infrastructure.

Received by H.E. Mr. Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and IsDB Governor; Dr. Rami Ahmad commended the Government of Pakistan for its ambitious Economic Development vision and affirmed IsDB Group’s commitment to contribute to the attainment of Pakistan’s development priorities.

He then presented the results accomplished via the recently completed Country Engagement Framework (CEF) (2023-2025) through which three approved projects saw their financing agreements signed under the auspices of H.E. the IsDB Governor for Pakistan, as well as H.E. Syed Imran Ahmad Shah, Minister of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety; H.E. Mr. Ali Sher Mehsud, Secretary Communications Division; H.E. Syed Shahid Mohyiddin, Secretary Elementary & Secondary Education, GoAJ&K; and Captain (Rtd) Asad Ullah Khan, NHA CEO.

The Poverty Graduation Project (US$118.4 million) will support 68,500 households to improve livelihoods, enhance human capital, and contribute to job creation; the M6 Motorway Project (US$475 million) will finance a 120.8 km segment of the Peshawar–Karachi Motorway to close a vital gap in Pakistan’s North–South transport corridor; and the Out-of-School Children Project in AJ&K (US$10 million) will benefit 60,000 out-of-school children through non-formal learning pathways, upgrading 135 schools, establishing 250 centers, training 4,000 teachers, and strengthening climate-resilient education facilities.

In his talks with H.E. Mr. Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and IsDB Governor, the IsDB Vice-President Operations confirmed that the Bank had successfully delivered US$956.60 million in the past three years, surpassing its target. He then proposed to the Minister to start undertaking the IsDB Member Country Partnership Strategy (MCPS) 2026–2030 for Pakistan, which will align with the Government of Pakistan’s Economic Transformation Plan [Uraan Pakistan (2024–2029)] and expand joint work across the entire IsDB Group.

The mission also discussed issues of mutual interest during separate high-level meetings with cabinet ministers including H.E. Mr. Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, Federal Minister for Energy; H.E. Dr. Muhammad Fakhre Alam Irfan, Federal Secretary; and H.E. Awais Manzur, Secretary, Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives

Reinforcing IsDB’s long-standing partnership in public health, Dr. Rami Ahmad also visited the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) for polio eradication, where he met with Ms. Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio. He highlighted the significant achievements under national leadership and reiterated IsDB’s sustained commitment to support Pakistan in its considerable efforts to eradicate Polio. Since 2012, the Bank has provided US$587 million across four phases of polio eradication support and expressed readiness to discuss Phase V.

The mission concluded with a site visit to the Mohmand Dam & Hydropower Project, a key national investment for clean energy generation, water security, irrigation, and downstream flood protection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. The dam is set to receive US$180 million of financing from IsDB, alongside partners from the Arab Coordination Group namely the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Saudi Fund for Development and the Kuwait Fund. With the river diverted, work on the dam body is in full swing and major electro-mechanical and hydraulic steel structure equipment financed by IsDB are being offloaded at the site. Once operational, the dam will deliver renewable and clean energy, water storage, irrigation and strengthened flood protection.