Islamabad, October 6,2026: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday met International Labour Organization (ILO) Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in employment, skills development and labour welfare.
The ILO director general, along with a delegation, paid a courtesy call on the prime minister in Islamabad.
Welcoming Houngbo, Prime Minister Shehbaz appreciated the robust cooperation between Pakistan and the ILO, particularly in creating opportunities for productive employment for skilled workers and the country’s youth.
The prime minister called for greater ILO facilitation in international certification and professional training of Pakistani skilled workers in line with international labour market standards.
He said the government was taking effective measures for the welfare, protection and professional development of the country’s labour force in line with international covenants.
Shehbaz also highlighted government efforts to promote industrial growth, productivity and competitiveness in the labour market, saying the government had reinvigorated the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).
He emphasized that greater collaboration and constructive engagement between the ILO and SMEDA could further strengthen initiatives aimed at developing Pakistan’s small and medium-sized enterprises.
Houngbo thanked the prime minister for the meeting and expressed his readiness to work with Pakistan to promote the protection, professional development and prosperity of its labour force.
He appreciated the positive coordination between the ILO and the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development and reaffirmed the organization’s continued collaboration with the government, employers and workers in Pakistan for the cohesive development of the labour force and industrial sector.
The ILO director general was accompanied by Senior Adviser Hitomi Nakagome and ILO Country Office for Pakistan Director Gier Thomas Tonsil.
Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, Acting Foreign Secretary Nabeel Munir, President Employers Foundation of Pakistan Majyd Aziz, Deputy Member (Workers) of the ILO Governing Body Muhammad Saad and senior government officials also attended the meeting.
