ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the European Union (EU) have agreed to sign a strategic plan after extensive deliberations, according to a statement released by the Foreign Office on Monday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who is currently in Brussels on a two-day official visit, will meet EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini on Tuesday, following which the two are expected to sign the “new strategic plan,” the statement added.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Belgium, Qureshi said that the strategic pact, which is aimed to give new direction to the countries ties with the EU, will be signed on June 25.
“It will pave the way for long-term cooperation between Pakistan and the EU,” he said.
Qureshi said that Pakistan and the EU had a “longstanding and strong relationship.”
“We have helped each other in several sectors and now we plan to give a new direction to our ties,” he added. “This [the strategic plan] is a really good development.”
Qureshi is scheduled to participate in an EU session on regional security during his visit. He will also visit the NATO headquarters and meet Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, according to the official handout.
The EU is “extremely important” for Pakistan both in terms of economic and diplomatic gains, veteran Pakistani political commentator Zahid Hussain told Arab News.
“Pakistan enjoys GST plus facilities that has given a boost to its exports,” he said, adding that Qureshi’s visit will “help strengthen Pakistan’s relations with other European countries as well.”
Hussain said that Qureshi’s meeting with the NATO chief was also very significant given the ongoing peace talks in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has become increasingly become diplomatically active during the past one year, viewed Rasul Bakhsh Rais, a political science professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences.
“Islamabad is very keen to deepen its multifaceted relations with the EU in the context of changing international alignments,” said Rais adding that “the strategic framework agreement would provide a clear map for mutual expectations and how would it advance the economic and security interests of Pakistan.”
Pakistan and the EU have been involved in strategic dialogue — the fifth round for which was held in Brussels in March this year, and the next session scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2020.
According to Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, “in the course of the forthcoming implementation of the Strategic Engagement Plan, both sides will work toward a comprehensive dialogue on migration and mobility.”
Pakistan, EU set to sign strategic pact
Pakistan, EU set to sign strategic pact
- Foreign Minister Qureshi is scheduled to meet EU foreign policy chief on Tuesday
- Analysts say move “extremely important” for Islamabad in terms of economic and diplomatic gains
Pakistan IT exports rise nearly 20 percent to $2.61 billion in first seven months of fiscal year
- January ICT exports climb to $374 million year-on-year
- Sector remains country’s top-earning services export
KARACHI: Pakistan’s information and communication technology (ICT) export earnings rose 19.78 percent year-on-year to $2.61 billion in the first seven months of the fiscal year ending June 2026, the IT ministry said on Tuesday, highlighting the sector’s growing role as a source of foreign exchange.
Pakistan’s IT and IT-enabled services sector has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing sources of foreign exchange, generating over $3 billion annually and employing roughly a million freelancers in addition to formal software firms.
Unlike traditional manufacturing exports, the industry relies primarily on remote digital labor, from software development to back-office services, making it resilient during economic crises but constrained by payment barriers, talent migration and infrastructure reliability challenges. However, IT services require minimal imports and benefit from a large pool of young workers and freelancers, making the sector central to government plans to boost dollar inflows and reduce pressure on the balance of payments.
“ICT export remittances surged 19.78 percent, reaching $ 2.61 billion during the first seven months of FY 2025-26 compared to $ 2.18 billion achieved during the corresponding period last year,” the IT ministry said in a statement.
Monthly exports also expanded, with ICT services exports reaching $374 million in January 2026, up 19.5 percent from $313 million a year earlier, according to the ministry’s data.
The ministry said ICT remained the country’s highest-earning services sector, well ahead of “other business services,” which generated $1.21 billion over the same July-January period.
Pakistan has increasingly relied on technology exports, including software development, outsourcing and freelance services, to generate foreign exchange as the economy adjusts under structural reforms and tight import controls following a balance-of-payments crisis.
Officials say continued growth will depend on easing payment bottlenecks, improving digital infrastructure and expanding higher-value technology services beyond traditional outsourcing.
