Pakistan offers 1,000 acres in Karachi for Turkish investors

Pakistan has earmarked 1,000 acres of land at Karachi Industrial Park for Turkish enterprises as the government seeks to attract foreign investment and strengthen industrial cooperation between the two countries, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said on Wednesday.

Jam Kamal Khan held a bilateral meeting with Türkiye’s Minister of Trade, Prof Ömer Bolat, on the sidelines of the 42nd Session of the Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in Istanbul, where he invited Turkish businesses to capitalise on the opportunity by establishing industrial units and expanding their manufacturing and investment footprint in Pakistan.

During the meeting, both ministers held productive discussions on matters of mutual economic and commercial interest, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening trade relations between Pakistan and Türkiye.

Jam Kamal appreciated Türkiye’s strong support for Pakistan’s legitimate claims concerning basmati rice and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation in protecting and promoting Pakistan’s premium agricultural products in international markets.

Highlighting Pakistan’s agricultural export potential, Jam Kamal sought Türkiye’s support in facilitating greater market access and increasing exports of Pakistani mangoes to the Turkish market.

Bolat emphasised the importance of effective marketing and branding of Pakistani basmati rice in Türkiye to strengthen its market presence and enhance consumer recognition.

The Turkish Trade Minister also assured his full support for increasing imports of Pakistani mangoes, recognising the potential for expanding agricultural trade between the two countries.

In a significant development, Bolat agreed to send a delegation of Turkish officials to Pakistan to review existing bilateral trade mechanisms and explore practical measures to further improve trade relations.

Both sides underscored the importance of sustained institutional engagement, enhanced business cooperation and closer coordination to translate existing economic opportunities into tangible trade and investment outcomes.

Separately, Jam Kamal held a meeting with Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, Director General of the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), on the sidelines of the COMCEC session.

During the meeting, the director general briefed the commerce minister on SESRIC’s ongoing activities, research initiatives and reports concerning trade among member countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). She highlighted the institution’s role in providing statistical information and analytical insights to support economic cooperation among Islamic countries.

Jam Kamal appreciated the work undertaken by SESRIC and emphasised the critical importance of accurate, reliable and clean data in economic research and policy analysis.

He noted that credible statistical information and evidence-based assessments were essential for identifying emerging trade trends, understanding market dynamics and evaluating trade potential among OIC member states.

The minister further highlighted that improved data quality and comprehensive trade analysis could help member countries identify untapped opportunities, address existing trade barriers and formulate more effective strategies to enhance intra-OIC trade.

He underscored the importance of strengthening research-based cooperation and utilising reliable trade statistics to support informed decision-making and promote greater economic integration among OIC countries.