Pakistan drives EV, IT pitch to Qatar

Pakistan used a joint trade and investment meeting in Doha on October 24 to seek Qatari backing for faster progress on a Pakistan-GCC free trade agreement and resolution of restrictions on bone-in meat exports. Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs, Dr Ahmad bin Mohammed Al-Sayed, co-chaired the session, which reviewed work since their first meeting in April 2026.

Islamabad invited Qatari investment across agriculture, automobiles, IT, maritime services and infrastructure, highlighting electric and new energy vehicle manufacturing, technology transfer and digital infrastructure. It also raised possible rice supplies through a proposed TCP-Hassad Food memorandum, investment in a Karachi-Hyderabad motorway, and an investment fund open to Qatari participation; the rice proposal awaits Federal Cabinet approval. Pakistan asked Qatar to nominate members for eleven technical working groups and said it would host the JTF’s third meeting.