ISTANBUL, AUG 14 /DNA/ – The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) hosted its prestigious International Excellence Awards-2026 in Istanbul, bringing together senior Turkish government officials, diplomats, leading Pakistani and Turkish business figures and representatives of the business community to celebrate Pakistan’s entrepreneurial excellence and forge stronger economic ties between the two brotherly countries. Around 40 prestigious awards were presented to prominent Pakistani business leaders from diverse sectors in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the national economy.
The impressive ceremony was attended by senior Turkish government officials, representatives of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, Pakistani diplomats and a large number of business leaders from both countries. The awards were presented by Deputy Governor of Istanbul Mehmet Sulun, alongside Consul General of Pakistan in Istanbul Khawaja Khurram Naeem, ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, Executive Board Member Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Munir Ustun, and ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub.
Speaking as Chief Guest, Deputy Governor of Istanbul Mehmet Sulun congratulated the award recipients and appreciated ICCI for bringing Pakistan’s business community to Türkiye. He said initiatives of this nature provided an effective platform for strengthening people-to-people and business-to-business contacts and could open new avenues for trade, investment and joint ventures between Pakistan and Türkiye.
He said these business leaders were not merely conducting trade but were also building bridges of friendship and understanding between the two brotherly nations. He expressed gratitude to ICCI, Ambassador of Türkiye to Pakistan Dr. Irfan Neziroğlu, the Consulate General of Pakistan in Istanbul and all institutions that contributed to the successful event, expressing the hope that the friendship and cooperation between Pakistan and Türkiye would continue to grow stronger and endure for generations.
Consul General of Pakistan in Istanbul Khawaja Khurram Naeem appreciated ICCI’s initiative and said that stronger business-to-business linkages were vital to translating the excellent political and fraternal relations between Pakistan and Türkiye into greater trade and investment. He assured the Pakistani business community of the Embassy’s continued support in promoting commercial cooperation between the two countries.
In his inaugural address, ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood highlighted the deep-rooted brotherly relations between Pakistan and Türkiye and reaffirmed ICCI’s determination to take bilateral trade and investment to the ambitious level envisioned by the leadership of the two countries. He said ICCI was positioning itself as a global business bridge for Pakistan by promoting exports, investment and international partnerships, while working closely with the Government of Pakistan and relevant institutions to improve the ease of doing business and create a more competitive environment for the private sector.
Munir Ustun, Executive Board Member, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, appreciated ICCI’s efforts to deepen economic and business relations between Pakistan and Türkiye and stressed the importance of stronger institutional and private-sector linkages. He said regular business exchanges, B2B engagements and joint initiatives could unlock the considerable untapped potential in bilateral trade and investment.
Zohair Majeed, Director Faisal Town Group, said the recognition of Pakistani business leaders on an international platform was a strong message that Pakistan’s private sector possessed the talent, resilience and entrepreneurial capacity to compete successfully in global markets. He emphasized that stronger Pakistan-Türkiye business partnerships could generate new opportunities for investment, technology transfer, exports and sustainable economic growth.
The ceremony was widely appreciated as a landmark initiative by ICCI to project Pakistan’s business potential on the international stage and strengthen the foundations for sustained Pakistan-Türkiye trade, investment and business-to-business cooperation.
