Pakistan, Oct. 9 -- Addressing a press conference after the third session of the Joint Ministerial Commission in Islamabad, Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said his country, currently holding the GCC presidency, was working to speed up approval of the long-pending Pakistan-GCC free trade agreement. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar also noted that the pact was "almost ripe," with only one member state yet to give the green light. For Pakistan, coming off another difficult year for merchandise exports, getting the agreement over the line would be of considerable significance.

Pakistan's merchandise trade with the six GCC economies reached about $20.2 billion in 2024, but exports accounted for barely $3 billion. Mu...