VIENNA, Austria: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Monday that Pakistan is collaborating with European partners to implement a joint ban on illegal immigration, signaling a tougher stance on human trafficking and undocumented travel.
Addressing the Pakistan-Austria Business Forum in Vienna on Monday, he said that Pakistan maintains an “absolute” opposition to illegal immigration.
He confirmed that Islamabad is actively collaborating with Austria, France, and Germany to implement a joint ban, with the explicit goal of bringing the practice to a “grinding halt.”
He affirmed that Pakistan would fulfil Austria’s “demand for skilled labour” as per the international certification required by it.
At the outset of his address, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted the deep-rooted diplomatic ties between Pakistan and Austria, characterizing them as “long-standing friendly relations.”
He went on to outline the key sectors where both nations remain “proactively engaged,” specifically pointing to mining, minerals, and renewable energy as areas of active collaboration.
The Premier detailed that his meetings with the Austrian leadership were aimed at a concrete outcome, stating his intent “to take many of these discussions to their logical conclusion.”
Turning to domestic priorities, the Prime Minister noted that 60 per cent of Pakistan’s population consists of young people who require “modern training in their hands, including laptops, AI, and IT-led initiatives” to harness their potential.
He further added that beyond technology, Pakistan holds “huge potential” in the field of agriculture, positioning the country as a promising partner for future investment and cooperation.
“Here, Austria can be a great partner, providing Pakistan with experience and modern technology to have value-addition in the field of citrus root, and make marmalade, juices, and export them to Austria, the Middle East, and other parts of the world”, the premier added.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was accorded guard of honour at Austria's Federal Chancellery
The Prime Minister was warmly welcomed and given a guard of honour at the Chancellery, where he arrived to meet Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker. Both leaders introduced… pic.twitter.com/LIbYoLJkj7
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) February 16, 2026
Shehbaz Sharif commenced his two-day official visit to Austria upon arriving at the Austrian Chancellery today, where he was accorded a guard of honour and received by Austria’s Federal Chancellor, Christian Stocker, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Both the leaders introduced their respective delegations to each other before proceeding for tête-à-tête and the delegation-level talks.
PM Shehbaz also penned his remarks in the guest book at the Chancellery.
The premier is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and one of his aides, Tariq Fatemi, during the two-day visit.
In its statement issued on Sunday, the Foreign Office (FO) noted that the trip marked “the first visit by a Pakistani prime minister to Austria in over three decades, the last having been undertaken by the then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 1992”.
