Maryam Nawaz invites Spanish businesses to Lahore and Sialkot, floats La Liga football academy
Maryam Nawaz invites Spanish businesses to Lahore and Sialkot, floats La Liga football academy
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has invited Spanish business delegations to visit Sialkot and Lahore, pitching a wider partnership between Punjab and Spain covering trade, sports, culture and environmental protection. The outreach is the latest bid to draw the Spanish businesses Pakistan wants as trade partners.
The chief minister discussed the proposals with Spanish Ambassador Carlos Aragon Gil Delaserna on Saturday. She said Punjab would welcome trade and cultural delegations from Spain and reviewed business and trade opportunities with the envoy.
The Spanish businesses Pakistan wants to attract
The two sides discussed a proposal to establish a pilot football academy in Lahore with the cooperation of Spain’s professional football league, La Liga, to train coaches and players. The chief minister also congratulated the diplomat on Spain’s victory in the Football World Cup.
A proposal to establish a Punjab-Spain Business Council to facilitate commercial ties was also discussed. The council, if formed, would give traders and investors from both sides a formal channel to raise issues and pursue joint ventures.
Why Sialkot matters
The invitation to Spanish businesses singles out Sialkot for a reason. The city is one of the world’s great sporting-goods manufacturing hubs, producing a large share of the footballs used in international tournaments, and its factories have supplied match balls for several editions of the FIFA World Cup.
For Spanish companies, Sialkot offers a manufacturing base steeped in football equipment. A La Liga-backed academy in Lahore would train not only players but the coaches who develop them.
Smog, heat and urban planning
The two sides also considered forming a joint working group to address challenges posed by forest fires, pollution and heatwaves. The chief minister said Punjab wanted to benefit from Spain’s experience in tackling climate change and smog, and expressed interest in learning from Barcelona’s urban-planning experience in making roads and public spaces more people-friendly.
The possibility of declaring Lahore and Barcelona sister cities was also discussed, along with cooperation in culture and arts. The chief minister welcomed Spain’s decision to recognise Palestine.
The smog issue is a recurring crisis for Lahore. Each winter, the city ranks among the most polluted in the world as a mix of crop burning, vehicle emissions and industrial discharge settles over the plains. Punjab has tried seasonal measures including school closures and traffic curbs, but a long-term answer remains elusive. Spanish experience with heat action plans and urban cooling could give the province new tools.
UN-Habitat honour for Punjab housing programme
In a separate development, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has been invited to Muscat to receive the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award 2026 for the Punjab Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar low-cost housing programme. She will attend the award ceremony on the occasion of World Habitat Day, where the honour will be presented at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre.
What happens next
The proposals are at the talking stage: the academy, the business council, the climate working group and the sister-city idea each need follow-up working groups and formal approvals before they become real.
Why is Sialkot important for sports business?
Sialkot is one of the world’s leading centres for sporting-goods manufacturing and produces a large share of the footballs used in international competitions, making it a natural partner for Spanish sports businesses.
What is the proposed La Liga football academy?
It is a proposal, discussed between the Punjab chief minister and the Spanish ambassador, to set up a pilot football academy in Lahore with the cooperation of Spain’s professional football league to train coaches and players.
What is the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour Award?
It is an international award recognising outstanding work in human settlements. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz will receive the 2026 award in Muscat for the Punjab Apni Chhat, Apna Ghar low-cost housing programme, at a ceremony on World Habitat Day.
Has Pakistan received the UN-Habitat award before?
Yes. The deputy chairman of the Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority received it in 2007.
