Islamabad feels the pressure these days with regional tensions messing up supply lines everywhere. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sat down with officials and made it clear: Pakistan should send its surplus food items to Gulf nations fast, but without short-changing our own people at home.
He chaired the review meeting himself today and sounded quite pleased with how the plan for food supplies to the Gulf is shaping up. The Prime Minister openly appreciated the departments and people working on it. After all, friends help friends when times get tough.
Moreover, Shehbaz Sharif reminded the team that Pakistan has a duty here. “We must look after the food requirements of our Gulf brothers,” he said straight out. Yet he also warned that domestic supply and demand need constant watching. No delays or excuses – anyone slowing things down will answer for it.
Making trade smoother and airports busier
On top of that, the Prime Minister asked for a solid plan to ramp up flights at Karachi, Gwadar and other big airports. He wants Pakistan ready to move goods quicker by air too.
During the briefing, officials shared good progress. A special committee already picked forty food items ready for export – things like rice, cooking oil, sugar, meat, chicken, milk powder, other dairy stuff, plus fresh fruits and vegetables. They even put together a list of exporters who deal with the Gulf. No extra fees on vegetables, fruits or meat, which should help keep costs down.
Exports will go by sea and air, both open routes. Plus, they are setting up business meetings and online webinars to connect Pakistani sellers with buyers over there. Ports at Karachi and Bin Qasim kept running full steam even through Eid days. To handle more cargo, off-dock terminals now take transshipment after some customs tweaks. Port transport charges dropped by as much as sixty percent. They opened special export help desks and gave priority docking to ships carrying crude oil.
All these steps show Pakistan wants to be a steady supplier without hurting local kitchens. Families here can rest easier knowing the government keeps an eye on home needs first. At the same time, this could bring in welcome business and strengthen old ties with the Gulf.
