Apple has appointed Salman Dar as its head of government affairs for Pakistan as the company steps up engagement with the government and regulators.

Dar announced the appointment on LinkedIn, saying he will lead Apple’s government affairs work in Pakistan and manage its engagement with regulators, policymakers and other stakeholders.

The move comes as Pakistan seeks to attract Apple and other major global technology companies to set up local manufacturing and assembly operations.

The government is also working to encourage Apple to start iPhone production in Pakistan by improving regulations and removing investment barriers.

The Engineering Development Board (EDB) chief recently told the National Assembly Standing Committee on IT that 37 companies were manufacturing mobile phones in Pakistan, with more than 35 million devices produced locally.

He said Apple was the only major mobile phone company yet to start manufacturing in Pakistan and that efforts were underway to bring the company into the local market.

The EDB chief also said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was expected to meet Apple CEO Tim Cook during his upcoming US visit.

Dar has more than 30 years of experience in technology, entrepreneurship and business development across Europe, South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.