ISLAMABAD, Oct 23 (APP): Pakistan and Qatar on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen bilateral economic relations and enhance cooperation in trade, investment, food security, logistics and digital sectors.
The understanding came during the sixth session of the Pakistan-Qatar Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC), jointly chaired by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani.
Addressing the JMC, Jam Kamal Khan said the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Qatar was rooted in faith, brotherhood and shared prosperity.
He said Pakistan was eager to elevate trade and investment relations with Qatar to new heights, adding that both sides had agreed to activate the Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment.
The minister said that Qatar had expressed keen interest in making an investment worth $3 billion in Pakistan, while both sides agreed to establish direct linkages between the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) to promote mutually beneficial ventures.
Jam Kamal said Pakistan was preparing a list of bankable projects for Qatari investors, noting that the two sides would expand cooperation in digital economy, food security, and logistics to further boost trade.
He also stressed the need to enhance exports of Pakistani rice, surgical instruments, sports goods, and leather products, and proposed the inclusion of Pakistani construction materials and machinery in Qatari projects.
Highlighting the regional trade potential, he said the Karachi–Hamad Port shipping route, which takes only four to six days, could serve as an effective corridor for regional commerce.
Both countries also agreed to expedite progress on a bilateral customs cooperation agreement and to activate the Joint Business Council to strengthen business-to-business ties.
Jam Kamal expressed optimism that the upcoming year would witness a notable acceleration in Pakistan-Qatar economic partnership, terming the talks “productive and forward-looking.”
He assured that Pakistan would strengthen its relations with Qatar through “practical measures rather than words.”
Qatari Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al-Thani reaffirmed his country’s resolve to further bolster economic cooperation with Pakistan, saying that bilateral trade had surged by 150 percent over the past five years, making Pakistan Qatar’s 10th largest trading partner.
He voiced support for the early implementation of the GCC–Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, which he said would open new avenues for trade and investment and generate significant opportunities for the private sector.
“The Joint Ministerial Commission is fostering economic integration between our public and private sectors,” Sheikh Faisal said, adding that both countries shared a common vision of sustainable development and prosperity.
He thanked the Government of Pakistan for the successful organization of the JMC session and invited the Pakistani delegation to visit Doha for the next meeting of the Commission, expressing confidence that this session would prove a “milestone in the economic partnership between Qatar and Pakistan.”