He was talking to a high-level delegation of Gates Foundation, which called on him in Islamabad today.
The Gates Foundation was led by President Gender Equality Division, Dr. Anita Zaidi, and Interim President Global Policy and Advocacy Division Ms. Kalpana Kochhar.
The discussion covered population growth and its implications for maternal and child health, nutrition, poverty and girls' education.
The Finance Minister emphasized the value of further collaboration through knowledge sharing, technical expertise and international experience.
The Finance Minister appreciated the Gates Foundation's continued engagement and emphasized the value of its financial support, technical expertise and knowledge sharing in advancing Pakistan's development priorities.
During the meeting, Ms. Kalpana Kochhar briefed the Finance Minister on the Foundation's growing engagement in Pakistan, particularly in human capital, child health, nutrition, maternal health and women's economic participation.
In his remarks, Dr. Anita Zaidi briefed the Finance Minister on the Foundation's maternal health work and the use of artificial intelligence to improve health outcomes. She reaffirmed the Foundation's commitment to Pakistan.
The Gates Foundation representatives welcomed progress in Pakistan's financial sector and expressed interest in supporting greater access to finance, particularly for SMEs, through improved information flows, digital footprints and cash-flow-based lending.
Both sides agreed to deepen collaboration across human capital, health, financial inclusion and digital innovation.