Pakistan seeks to boost space tech cooperation with China

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday emphasised importance of the space technology, saying that Pakistan was interested in enhancing cooperation with China in the fields of satellites, telecommunications, and satellite internet.

The prime minister, in a meeting with a delegation from the Chinese space technology company Galaxy Space, led by the company's Chairman Xu Ming, said that Pakistan gave great importance to the space technology sector.

The delegation members also showed keen interest in investing in Pakistan's space industry and joint projects with Pakistani space institutions, as well as private telecom companies.

Thanking the government for warm hospitality, they told the prime minister that their meetings with officials from the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication and Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) were very productive.

The meeting was also attended by Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Advisor to PM Dr Tauqir Shah and officers from other relevant government departments.

Pakistan has been paying special attention to its space-related advancement, as earlier this year, it successfully launched the country's first indigenous Electro Optical Satellite (EOS) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (JSLC), China.

The satellite reportedly delivers timely updates on floods, landslides, and earthquakes for effective response.

Last year, Suparco launched its first satellite mission to the moon, iCube Qamar, on board China's Chang'E6 from Hainan, China, for which PM Shehbaz said that the satellite was Pakistan's first step in space.

Moreover, a satellite internet service, Starlink, is also set to launch in Pakistan by November or December, state minister Shaza Fatima told the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT and Telecom earlier this month.

A Chinese company, Shanghai SpaceCom, had also applied for a satellite internet licence in Pakistan.