ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Singapore decided on Friday that trade expansion should sit at the top of their shared agenda. Singapore's foreign minister, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, was in the capital for his first official stop there in over twenty years.
Pakistan's foreign minister and deputy premier, Ishaq Dar, held talks with him that also covered climate work, technology, schooling, research and citizen ties. Both sides said sixty years of formal relations should now deliver deeper business contact.
Commerce, smaller firms and the imbalance
Dr Balakrishnan called building commercial ties the "first order of business". He said governments must help companies connect — especially smaller firms (SMEs) — so owners grasp openings and risks across Southeast and South Asia. In a unsettled world economy, he argued, officials should clear paths for ventures that help both sides.
Mr Dar said economic work stood at the heart of the exchange. He welcomed recent gains in two-way shipments and said the capitals would promote business missions and tighter contact between chambers. Islamabad has also restored its Trade and Investment Office inside the Pakistan High Commission in Singapore, which Mr Dar framed as proof of commercial resolve.
The flow of goods remains uneven. Singapore sold Pakistan about $1.7 billion of merchandise in 2025, while Pakistani sales the other way were estimated between $196 million and $278 million. Mineral fuels and oils make up a large share in both directions; machinery, electrical gear, chemicals, plastics, clothing and medicines also feature. The two states still have no free trade pact after earlier talks stalled, so the present drive rests on SME networking rather than a broad treaty.
Climate, emergencies and campuses
The ministers examined carbon markets as well. Singapore sees those markets as a way to draw capital into Pakistani projects that cut emissions and back sustainable growth.
They also exchanged a memorandum of understanding between the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) — Pakistan's federal disaster body — and Singapore's Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Officials expect the pact to cover early alerts, rescue work and shared drills so both sides can handle emergencies better.
On schooling and research, Dr Balakrishnan flagged possible collaboration linking Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and National University of Singapore with Pakistan's National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST).
ASEAN chair year and other calls
Singapore takes the ASEAN chair next year. ASEAN — the Association of Southeast Asian Nations — is a Southeast Asian regional bloc. Pakistan already holds sectoral dialogue partner status with ASEAN. Dr Balakrishnan said that status, plus Pakistan's leadership role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), could create room for wider teamwork between the two countries and their regional groups. Mr Dar said Islamabad wants to support Singapore's priorities and deepen Pakistan-ASEAN engagement.
Dr Balakrishnan also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. A statement from the premier's office said they discussed ways to lift commerce and investment and to widen work across services, SMEs, logistics, infrastructure, financial technology (fintech) and the digital economy. The prime minister praised Singapore's "remarkable economic transformation" and its record on innovation.
Later, the Singaporean minister called on Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir at army headquarters in Rawalpindi. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said the army chief stressed Pakistan's wish for stronger ties with Singapore and for useful institutional contact that supports peace and security across the region.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan aur Singapore ne trade expansion ko pehli priority bana di hai. Singapore ke foreign minister Islamabad aaye aur Ishaq Dar, PM Shehbaz aur Field Marshal Asim Munir se mile. Abhi Pakistan Singapore ko bohot kam saman bechta hai, is liye SME aur business links tez ki jayengi. Disaster training aur universities pe bhi mil kar kaam hoga.
