Pakistani Ministries Clash Over Trade Data as Parliamentary Panel Demands Unified Reporting

A disagreement between two federal ministries over industrial production and export figures has led a parliamentary panel to question the dependability of Pakistan's official trade statistics and to press for a unified reporting system. The issue came to light during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce, chaired by Javed Hanif Khan, according to a report citing committee proceedings.

Trade Development Authority of Pakistan Chief Executive Faiz Ahmed Chadhar said the Ministry of Industries and Production should concentrate on reporting industrial performance instead of intervening in trade-related subjects. Commerce officials also challenged figures presented by Additional Secretary Industries Humaira Zia Mufti, who said the numbers originated from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics. The committee directed both ministries to reconcile their figures and build a consistent framework for reporting industrial output, export performance and the exportable surpluses available.

The panel also examined last year's decision to import sugar and then permit exports of the surplus. Commerce officials told members that about 300,000 tonnes were imported after domestic prices rose, of which roughly 200,000 tonnes were consumed locally, leaving about 100,000 tonnes available for export. Officials from the Ministry of National Food Security and Research said sugarcane production had reached 97.28 million tonnes this year, with 89 sugar mills operating nationwide. The committee asked the ministry to supply five years of sugar and wheat import and export data, together with the financial impact on the national exchequer and on domestic prices.

Members noted an estimated $5.9 billion in untapped export potential across 20 high-potential product categories identified through an International Trade Centre analysis, and urged sector-specific strategies to sharpen export competitiveness and diversify markets.

The committee unanimously approved the Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2026. It also reviewed the Trade Organizations (Third Amendment) Bill, 2026, introduced by Dr. Farooq Sattar, focusing on its implications for the Karachi Chamber of Commerce. The panel reiterated that chambers should follow divisional rather than district-level organisational structures and sent the bill to the National Assembly Secretariat's Legislative Drafting Branch for technical refinement before further consideration.