By Our Correspondent
KARACHI: Pakistan and the United States have launched their most significant bilateral business partnership in decades during the Pakistan-US Investment Conference 2025 in Dallas. The conference marks a historic shift in South Asian-American economic relations, with major corporations and government entities from both nations committing to unprecedented levels of collaboration.
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Jehangir Raja, Chairman of JR Dallas Fund, announced a landmark $10 million investment commitment for Pakistani technology entrepreneurs Mehwish Salman Ali and Malik Muddasir, CEO of Apps Genii, representing one of the largest single private investments in Pakistan’s emerging AI and data technology sector. This investment demonstrates growing international confidence in Pakistan’s technology capabilities and positions the country as a major player in the global tech ecosystem.
The conference has attracted unprecedented participation from major US corporations, with IBM’s AI Customer Success division represented by Baber Bhatti, signaling serious corporate America interest in Pakistani technology partnerships. Waqas Khan Pitafi, Co-Founder of Delta One, has played a crucial role in organizing this landmark event, demonstrating the entrepreneurial bridge-building between Pakistani-American business leaders and the broader US technology ecosystem. This marks one of the first times a Fortune 500 technology giant has participated at this level in a Pakistan-focused investment conference on US soil.
His Excellency Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, and Muhammad Chaudhry, Consul General of Pakistan in Houston, are leading high-level diplomatic efforts to formalize new economic partnerships. This represents the highest level of Pakistani diplomatic engagement in a US technology conference in recent years.
Pakistani technology delegation comprised of Abu Bakar, CEO, Pakistan Software Export Board, Shahbaz Hameed, Pakistan Software Export Board – Key conference organizer and industry coordination, Sajjad Syed Chairman, Pakistan Software Houses Association – Representing over 2,000 Pakistani IT companies, Mehwish Salman Ali, CEO and Co-Founder, Zahanat AI and Data Vault Pakistan – Pioneer in AI technology solutions, Malik Muddasir, CEO, Apps Genii – Mobile application development and technology innovation leader
US Technology and Investment Leadership included Jehangir Raja, Chairman, JR Dallas Fund – Major US-based investment fund, Tariq Khan, President, OPEN Global – International business and professional network leadership, Dr. Khalid Mahmood, Chairman, OPEN Dallas – Dallas chapter leadership and community coordination, Asif Habibi, President, Open Austin – Leading Texas technology community organization, Baber Bhatti, AI Customer Success, IBM – Fortune 500 corporate representation, Shawn Surani, CEO, Ember Group and Prop Star – Prominent US business leader, and Waqas Khan Pitafi, Co-Founder, Delta One – Technology entrepreneur and conference organizer.
The conference represents unprecedented coordination between six major Pakistani government and industry organizations, SIFC, Tech Destination Pakistan, MOITT, PSEB, TDAP, and P@SHA.
This conference positions Pakistan as a serious alternative to traditional technology outsourcing destinations, with competitive advantages including English proficiency, favorable time zones for US businesses, and significantly lower operational costs compared to established markets.
The conference occurs amid the Trump administration’s focus on diversifying technology partnerships and reducing dependence on single-source suppliers. Recent statements from President Trump about pursuing “big deals” with both India and Pakistan have created a favorable environment for such partnerships.
The prominent participation of IBM’s AI division and Zahanat AI signals that artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics will be central to the emerging Pakistan-US technology partnership. This aligns with global trends toward AI-driven business solutions and Pakistan’s growing expertise in these areas.
This conference represents the largest Pakistan-focused technology and investment gathering ever held in the United States, with participation spanning from grassroots technology communities like Open Austin to Fortune 500 corporations like IBM. The event demonstrates Pakistan’s evolution from a traditional manufacturing economy to a knowledge-based technology economy capable of competing on the global stage.
The conference’s success is being measured not just in investment dollars, but in the quality and diversity of partnerships being formed across multiple technology sectors.
