At the High Commission of Pakistan in Canberra, I had the honour of meeting with His Excellency Mr Irfan Shaukat, High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia, in my capacity as President of the Pak-Aus Engineers Association Inc. Joining the meeting was Mr Anthony Barnes, CEO of various companies in Australia and overseas.
The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between Pakistan and Australia in the fields of cybersecurity, defence technologies, software and hardware development, and the verification and integrity of critical software systems. We discussed the increasing importance of cyber resilience, secure digital infrastructure, and opportunities to develop strategic partnerships between the Australian and Pakistani IT industries.
Mr Anthony Barnes expressed a strong interest in establishing business relationships and exploring joint ventures with Pakistan’s technology and defence sectors. Discussions also covered opportunities for knowledge sharing, technology transfer, innovation, and collaborative research that would benefit both countries.
His Excellency Mr Irfan Shaukat warmly welcomed these initiatives and encouraged greater engagement through defence exhibitions, technology conferences, trade missions, and professional networking events. He emphasised that closer cooperation between Australian and Pakistani organisations would create new opportunities for investment, innovation, and the exchange of expertise in the rapidly evolving fields of cybersecurity and advanced technologies.
The meeting reaffirmed our shared commitment to strengthening Pakistan–Australia relations through engineering, technology, innovation, and industry collaboration. As President of the Pak-Aus Engineers Association Inc., I look forward to working closely with government, industry, and academic stakeholders to promote meaningful partnerships that will contribute to economic growth, technological advancement, and stronger bilateral ties between our two nations.