Pakistan, July 23 -- Pakistan has invited global tech giant Samsung to use the country as a regional manufacturing and export hub for mobile phones, with Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan urging the South Korean conglomerate to ship locally produced smartphones to Africa and other emerging markets.

The minister extended the invitation during a meeting with a delegation led by the Country Head of Samsung Pakistan at the Ministry of Commerce, read a statement released on Wednesday. Senior officials of the ministry were also present.

During the meeting, Jam Kamal encouraged Samsung to look beyond Pakistan's domestic market and export Pakistan-manufactured smartphones to emerging markets, particularly to Africa and other regions. He said Pak...