Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed that effective measures be taken to bring the quality of Pakistani products up to international standards to enhance national exports.

He issued the directives while chairing a review meeting in Islamabad on enhancing exports and accelerating economic growth. according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“Effective measures should be taken to bring the quality of Pakistani products up to international standards, make the quality assurance system more effective, and ensure full compliance with international standards and regulations,” the premier was quoted as saying.

PM Shehbaz called for making an increase in exports the foundation of the country’s economic progress, and for preparing sectors other than the traditional ones for global markets.

He said the maximum number of sectors and industries should be involved in export activities to diversify trade.

PM Shehbaz also stressed value addition in exports so that the value and competitiveness of Pakistani products in the global market is increased.

He ordered the promotion of modern technology, research and innovation in export industries.

“Administrative and business obstacles faced by exporters should be removed, and the export process should be made more simplified, faster and transparent,” the premier further said.

The meeting was briefed on the implementation of the approved strategic roadmap for promoting exports. Proposals were also reviewed for access to new global markets, diversification in export sectors, improvement in product quality and business facilitation, PMO said.

Measures were being taken to increase Pakistani products’ access to global markets through free trade agreements (FTAs) and preferential trade deals with “friendly countries”, meeting attendees were told.

Steps were being taken to include Pakistani horticultural products in exports, while local exporters of surgical and medical instruments were being encouraged to participate in tenders for international hospitals, according to the meeting briefing.

Exhibitions — such as International Textile Exhibition (Texpo), Health Engineering and Minerals Show (Hems), and International Food and Agriculture Exhibition (FoodAg) — have been held in different cities to familiarise global companies with Pakistani products, the PMO statement said.

“Work is underway to align intellectual property laws with the demands of the present era to promote innovation in exports,” it added.

The meeting was further told that the restructuring process of the Export Development Fund (EDF) had been completed, adding that EDF was taking measures to facilitate the business community.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Industries and Production Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, Climate Change Minister Musadiq Masood Malik, Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Special Assistant to PM on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan and State Minister for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani, along with senior officers of other relevant departments.

PM Shehbaz has termed achieving export-led economic growth as the government’s top priority, with the federal budget for the current fiscal year (FY27) formulated with the same objective.

Pakistan’s merchandise exports rose 9.54 per cent in the first month of FY27, even as the trade deficit widened on the back of rising imports, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) reported last month.

In the last fiscal year (FY26), Pakistan’s merchandise exports not only missed the annual target by $4.87bn, but also contracted by 5.97pc compared to FY25, reflecting the government’s failure to achieve visible improvement over the last four years.

Furthermore, the trade deficit widened amid a rise in imports and a decline in exports, the PBS had said in July.