Pakistan and Qatar held the second meeting of their Joint Task Force on Trade and Investment in Doha on October 25, 2026, reviewing progress since the forum’s first meeting in April 2026 and pushing for closer trade and investment ties.
What happened?
The meeting was co-chaired by Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs Dr Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed. Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council coordinated the proceedings as the task force secretariat, with relevant Pakistani ministries joining virtually.
Key details
- Pakistan pressed for an early signing of the Pakistan-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Free Trade Agreement, saying it has completed its domestic approval process and submitted the agreement text to the GCC secretariat in December 2025.
- Pakistan asked Qatar to lift its ban on imports of bone-in meat, saying it has already provided technical documentation on animal health and food safety standards.
- The two sides discussed a proposed government-to-government agreement for rice supplies from Pakistan to Qatar, between the Trading Corporation of Pakistan and Qatar’s Hassad Food, which has been sent to Pakistan’s federal cabinet for approval.
- Pakistan invited Qatari investment in modern agriculture, grain storage, cold-chain facilities and agricultural technology, as well as electric and new-energy vehicles, information technology and digital infrastructure.
What it means for people in Pakistan
If the GCC trade agreement and the rice arrangement move forward, Pakistani exporters — especially in agriculture and food — could gain steadier access to Gulf markets, and new investment could support jobs in farming, storage and technology. For now, these are talks and proposals rather than signed deals, so exporters and businesses should watch for the cabinet decision on rice and any formal GCC announcement before changing plans.
Source: https://pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-qatar-accelerate-trade-talks-as-gcc-deal-nears-completion
