Key Takeaways
- Pakistan and Qatar reviewed progress on bilateral economic cooperation during a meeting in Doha.
- Pakistan emphasized the importance of the early signing of the Pakistan–GCC Free Trade Agreement.
- The meeting discussed potential investments in agriculture, IT, and maritime sectors.
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Dr Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, co-chaired the Second Meeting of the Pakistan–Qatar Joint Task Force (JTF) on Trade and Investment in Doha on October 24, 2026.
The meeting aimed to review progress on bilateral economic cooperation and explore new opportunities for trade, investment, and industrial partnerships.
Pakistan highlighted the importance of the early signing of the Pakistan–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement, which it had completed its domestic approval process for and forwarded the approved agreement text to the GCC Secretariat on December 31, 2025.
Pakistan also raised the issue of restrictions on exports of bone-in meat to Qatar and requested their early resolution, noting that a comprehensive technical dossier addressing animal health and food safety requirements had already been shared with the relevant Qatari authorities.
In the agriculture and food security sector, Pakistan proposed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and Qatar’s Hassad Food for the supply of Pakistani rice under a government-to-government arrangement, which has been submitted to the Federal Cabinet for approval.
Pakistan invited Qatari investment in modern agriculture, grain storage facilities, silos, cold storage, integrated cold-chain infrastructure, and advanced farming technologies, emphasizing the potential for developing sustainable food supply arrangements.
Highlighting Pakistan’s industrial potential, the Pakistani side presented investment opportunities in the automobile sector, particularly New Energy Vehicles (NEVs) and electric vehicles under the country’s new EV policy framework, and discussed possibilities for joint manufacturing, technology transfer, and industrial partnerships.
Pakistan also invited Qatari investment in information technology and digital infrastructure, noting its growing IT exports and opportunities for technology partnerships and expansion of digital services.
In the maritime sector, Pakistan identified opportunities for cooperation in shipping and maritime transport, particularly in securing oil tankers, LNG carriers, and container vessels to strengthen energy security and international trade connectivity.
The proposed new Karachi–Hyderabad Motorway was also presented as a potential investment opportunity for Qatar, aiming to improve connectivity between Pakistani seaports and the national road network while facilitating regional transit trade, particularly with Central Asian countries.
The Qatari side emphasized enhanced cooperation in civil aviation and air traffic between the two countries, with Pakistan welcoming the proposal and informing the meeting that aviation-related matters would also be addressed through the Technical Working Group on Logistics and Communications.
