The two countries review cooperation in agriculture, electric vehicles, IT, maritime transport and infrastructure, while seeking progress on the GCC free trade agreement.
DOHA, October 25, 2026: Pakistan and Qatar have reviewed progress on bilateral economic cooperation and explored new opportunities for trade, investment and industrial partnerships at the second meeting of the Pakistan–Qatar Joint Task Force (JTF) on Trade and Investment.
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 meeting in Doha on October 24. Representatives of relevant Pakistani ministries participated virtually, while the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) coordinated proceedings as the task force’s secretariat.
Both sides reviewed progress since the inaugural meeting in April 2026 and discussed ways to expand bilateral trade and facilitate investment across priority sectors.
Pakistan emphasised the early signing of the Pakistan–Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and sought Qatar’s support in completing the remaining formalities. Pakistan said it had completed its domestic approval process and forwarded the approved agreement text to the GCC Secretariat on December 31, 2025.
Islamabad also raised restrictions on Pakistani bone-in meat exports to Qatar, requesting an early resolution. It said a technical dossier addressing animal health and food safety requirements had already been submitted to the relevant Qatari authorities.
In agriculture and food security, Pakistan highlighted a proposed agreement between the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) and Qatar’s Hassad Food for rice supplies under a government-to-government arrangement. The proposal has been submitted to the Federal Cabinet for approval.
Pakistan also invited Qatari investment in modern agriculture, grain storage, silos, cold storage and advanced farming technologies.
Other investment opportunities included electric vehicles and new energy vehicles (NEVs), joint manufacturing, technology transfer, information technology, digital infrastructure and maritime transport. Pakistan also presented the proposed Karachi–Hyderabad Motorway as an opportunity to improve port connectivity and facilitate regional transit trade, particularly with Central Asian countries.
The two sides discussed cooperation in civil aviation, air traffic and a proposed investment fund covering infrastructure, agriculture, industry and technology.
Pakistan called for the early operationalisation of 11 technical working groups covering sectors including logistics, manufacturing, mining, tourism, healthcare, education, financial technology and startups. It requested Qatar to nominate representatives so the groups could begin identifying projects, resolving outstanding issues and preparing sector-specific recommendations before the third meeting, which Pakistan will host.
At the conclusion, both ministers signed the minutes of the first Joint Task Force meeting, reaffirming their commitment to closer economic cooperation and investment facilitation.
Separately, Jam Kamal Khan met Nan Li Collins, head of the World Investment Forum, in Doha. Discussions covered regional developments, economic integration, connectivity and cooperation to address emerging global challenges.