Houston Hosts Key Business Meeting with Pakistani Trade Delegation: HKSC and GHP Discuss Trade Relations, Sialkot Companies Participate

By: Raja Zahid A Khanzada
Houston: The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), in collaboration with the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association (HKSCA), hosted a business luncheon meeting with a Pakistani trade delegation consisting of 11 significant companies from Sialkot, Pakistan. This event was sponsored by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and held at the Partnership Tower in Houston.

Vice President of GHP, Mr. John Cypher, along with his international trade development team, welcomed the delegation and highlighted Houston and Pakistan trade ties through a special PowerPoint presentation. The discussion was led by the Chief Delegate Zeeshan Zeb,Trade and Investment Attaché of Pakistan, Mr. Salman Raza, and the President of the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association, Mr. Muhammad Saeed Sheikh.

Mr. Cypher also emphasized major sectors of Houston, including logistics, healthcare, energy, and aerospace. He briefed the delegation on Houston’s status as the 4th largest city in the US, with the largest port in the nation. Mr. Cypher noted that Houston offers great incentives for business development. The Sialkot business delegation provided insights into their region, noting Sialkot’s prominence in the sports world, from soccer balls to racing sports, leather garments, and healthcare. Mr. Cypher and Mr. Raza discussed potential avenues for developing relationships between Pakistan and Houston.

It was agreed that a US-based delegation, supported by GHP, will be scheduled in the future to explore cooperation in business development. This includes GHP’s participation in the upcoming Pakistan Business Expo in October 2024 and facilitating Pakistani companies and delegations in Houston.

Chief Delegate Zeeshan Zeb, Trade and Investment Attaché of Pakistan, Mr. Salman Raza, and the President of the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association, Mr. Muhammad Saeed Sheikh emphasized the need to increase trade with Pakistan through the GHP channel and assured HKSCA’s utmost collaboration in achieving this goal. Mr. Cypher appreciated the efforts of the Government of Pakistan and the delegates, reassuring future cooperation. It was concluded that such initiatives should become a permanent feature between Pakistani companies and Houston.

At the end of the meeting the Chief Delegate Mr. Zeeshan Zeb presented a Sialkot Chamber Seal to The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP).