The federal government is considering declaring an export emergency as part of a broader effort to double Pakistan’s exports to $60 billion within the next four years. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to review a comprehensive proposal aimed at accelerating export growth and addressing long-standing structural challenges faced by the industrial and export sectors.
The committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, has been tasked with examining key constraints affecting exports, including delays in tax refunds, which have remained a persistent issue for exporters and manufacturers. According to media reports, the proposal was discussed during a briefing to the prime minister, where the urgency of export-led growth was highlighted as critical for Pakistan’s economic sustainability.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal announced the formation of the committee on Monday, stressing that Pakistan must rapidly enhance its export earnings to avoid repeated reliance on financial assistance from friendly countries or bailout programmes from the International Monetary Fund. He warned that without a significant increase in exports, Pakistan would continue to face fiscal pressures and external financing gaps, increasing the likelihood of returning to the IMF in the future.
The proposal under review includes several measures aimed at supporting exporters and improving competitiveness. Among the key recommendations are allowing optional national holidays for the export industry in consultation with labour representatives, removing bottlenecks across the export cycle, and providing targeted support to the country’s top 200 export firms. The Planning Ministry has also proposed that the prime minister personally engage with leading exporters and offer direct backing to resolve their concerns and operational challenges.
In addition to immediate relief measures, the committee will focus on longer-term structural reforms. These include streamlining processes to enable faster activation of special economic zones and strengthening economic diplomacy by transforming Pakistan’s diplomatic missions into trade-focused missions. The aim is to better align foreign policy with trade promotion and market access objectives.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis has also been assigned the task of developing a plan to mobilise the Pakistani diaspora for investment and export development. Officials believe that greater engagement with overseas Pakistanis could play a significant role in boosting exports, attracting capital, and expanding Pakistan’s presence in international markets.
Iqbal noted that Pakistan’s economy has shown signs of stabilisation, with growth of 3.7% recorded in the first quarter of the current fiscal year. He cautioned, however, that the country must avoid reverting to an import- and consumption-led growth model, which could trigger another balance-of-payments crisis. While inflation has stabilised and large-scale manufacturing registered growth of 5% during the first four months of the year, he emphasised that sustained economic recovery depends on export-led growth.
The committee is expected to submit its final recommendations to the prime minister next week, with a strong emphasis on long-term strategies to expand exports. Officials have warned that failure to achieve meaningful export growth could leave Pakistan vulnerable to continued economic challenges and external dependency.
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