Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal yesterday requested the government to declare an export emergency to accelerate economic growth based on trade recovery and exports.
According to sources, while speaking to journalists during the release of the Monthly Development Outlook Report, he said that Pakistan’s economy is showing signs of recovery, including declining inflation, increasing industrial production, rising exports, and stronger remittances.
The Planning Minister proposed setting up a hotline to assist exporters and ensuring timely payment of exporters’ refunds. He noted that in the first quarter of FY 2026, GDP grew by 3.7 percent, while the industrial sector expanded by 9.4 percent, and the agriculture and services sectors remained stable.
He further stated that inflation declined from 7.2 percent in July to 5.2 percent in December, and exports from July to November in FY 2026 increased by 1 percent to reach $16.6 billion. Highlighting development expenditures, he said that Rs. 356 billion were released in the first six months, of which Rs. 210 billion have been utilized, and that recently approved development projects will create approximately 3,000 direct and 64,500 indirect employment opportunities nationwide.
He also emphasized that Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio still exists, and its eradication is a national and international responsibility. He added that progress continues on CPEC projects, IT exports are increasing, and it is necessary to strengthen the energy sector through reforms to establish a solid foundation by 2027.
