A meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Commerce was held virtually under the chairpersonship of Senator Anusha Rahman The Committee reviewed the budget utilization of the Ministry of Commerce, considered PSDP proposals for the upcoming Financial Year 2026–27, examined the compliance report on earlier recommendations regarding the Intellectual Property Organization (IPO) offices dealing with patents, copyrights and trademarks, discussed initiatives for promoting women entrepreneurs and strengthening cottage industry, and received briefings from Trade and Investment Counsellors (TICs) posted in Korea and Jeddah.
The meeting was attended by Senator Sarmad Ali, Senator Amir Waliuddin Chishti, Senator Saleem Mandviwala, Senator Rahat Jamali, and Senator Bilal Ahmed.
The Committee reviewed PSDP proposals for FY 2026–27 and was informed that two development projects had been proposed. During discussion on the Expo Center Quetta project amounting to Rs.4.8 Billion, the Committee members hailing from Balochistan raised concerns regarding the suitability and security of the proposed site given by Balochistan government. The President of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry briefed the Committee that the current location was far from the city and not secure enough to effectively host trade exhibitions. Senators from Balochistan echoed these concerns and were joined by Secretary TDAP who shared that Minister Commerce also wrote to Balochistan govt to provide an alternate location but the Balochistan government declined.
The Committee observed that constructing the Expo Center at the current site may result in wastage of public funds and become a burden on the national exchequer as the expo center may not be able to generate revenue due to security concerns. The Committee unanimously recommended that since the project is not viable at the existing location due to security concerns and therefore to be pended until the matter is raised again by Ministry of Commerce with Chief Minister of Balochistan and the Senate committee concerns are communicated. The Committee further recommended the Ministry of Commerce to arrange a meeting between the Federal Minister for Commerce, and the Chief Minister of Balochistan within the next week, to identify an alternative site and pend the budget approval till the time.
The Committee was also briefed on the proposed PSDP project titled “Export Accelerator for SMEs.” Members observed that export development initiatives should ideally be financed through the Export Development Fund (EDF). The Secretary Commerce informed the Committee that the project had been initiated on the direction of the Minister for Planning and Special Initiatives. After detailed deliberations, the Committee directed the Ministry to first place the project before the EDF Board for possible funding and consider PSDP financing only if required thereafter.
The Committee reviewed the compliance status of its earlier recommendations regarding IPO offices, including the Patent Office, Copyright Office and Trade Marks Registry Office in Karachi. Members were informed that IPO’s outreach through social media platforms. The Chairperson expressed concerns over the significant backlog of pending cases and directed the organization to clear the backlog at the earliest. IPO officials assured the Committee that pending cases would be cleared within six months as the organization was enhancing the capacity of its human resources through training.
The Committee was also briefed on initiatives of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) aimed at promoting women entrepreneurs and strengthening the cottage industry. The Chairperson emphasized the importance of such initiatives for the country’s socio-economic development and highlighted the need for greater policy-level interventions. It was noted that TDAP has established a dedicated Women Entrepreneurs Division and has signed MoUs with various NGOs and government organizations, including Pakistan Single Window, to strengthen networks supporting cottage industries and women-led businesses. The Chairperson, however, stressed the need for more proactive policy initiatives and directed TDAP to further expand support mechanisms for women entrepreneurs.
Briefings were also given by Trade and Investment Counsellors posted in Korea and Jeddah. The Chairperson highlighted opportunities for expanding trade with Korea in their specilaised industries, and emphasized the potential benefits of exploring a Free Trade Agreement with Korea. She also pointed to opportunities for Pakistan in emerging datacentre projects by Saudi Arabia which could be expanded to Pakistan.
The Trade and Investment Counsellor in Jeddah informed the Committee that around one hundred Pakistani IT companies had established offices in Saudi Arabia. It was further noted that Pakistan’s major exports to Saudi Arabia currently include food products and textiles. The Chairperson urged the Ministry of Commerce and the TIC Jeddah to explore post war additional employment and business opportunities for Pakistani professionals, particularly in light of potential workforce shifts in the region.
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