Pakistan and ADB Agree on Joint Export Accelerator Programme, Details Not Yet Out
Pakistan and the ADB agreed a joint export accelerator programme on 30 September 2026. What the official report says, what is only reported and what is missing.
Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have agreed on a joint export accelerator programme to help Pakistan sell more abroad. The agreement came on Wednesday 30 September 2026, when Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal met ADB President Masato Kanda in Mongolia.
Radio Pakistan, the state broadcaster, reported the agreement the same day, and we read its report. The two met on the sidelines of the CAREC Ministerial Conference in Ulaanbaatar. So far, though, the programme is a name and an aim. No money, timeline or list of products has been published by the government or the ADB.
Pakistan and the ADB agreed on the programme on 30 September
Pakistan and the ADB agreed on a joint export accelerator programme on 30 September 2026, Radio Pakistan reported. The aim is to boost Pakistan's exports. The deal was reached at a meeting between Ahsan Iqbal and ADB President Masato Kanda in Mongolia.
CAREC stands for Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation. It is an 11-country partnership backed by the ADB, and Pakistan is a member. Its ministers met in Ulaanbaatar this week. The ADB said on 29 September that CAREC had reached $60.2 billion in total investment over 25 years.
An "accelerator" in this sense usually means a set of studies, advice and support meant to speed up growth in a chosen area. What this one will contain has not been spelt out yet.
The official report gives the aim but few details
The official Radio Pakistan report says only that the programme is meant "to boost Pakistan's exports". It does not give a budget, a start date, a list of sectors or who will run it. Reports add more, but those details are not on an official page yet.
According to reports, the two sides agreed to explore joint studies for the programme. Those studies would look for gaps in Pakistan's products and markets. Reports also say the ADB President agreed to carry out the studies, and link the programme to a goal of $100 billion in exports by 2035. We could not confirm any of this on a government or ADB page.
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Programme agreed, to boost exports | Official, Radio Pakistan |
| Agreed at Ahsan Iqbal and Masato Kanda meeting | Official, Radio Pakistan |
| Joint studies on product and market gaps | Reported |
| Link to $100 billion exports by 2035 | Reported |
| Budget or loan amount | Not published |
| Start date and sectors | Not published |
The meeting also covered ML-1 and climate money
The export programme was one of several topics. Ahsan Iqbal also asked the ADB for a dedicated climate finance window, pressed for the ML-1 railway project, and spoke about road and rail links through Afghanistan to Gwadar, according to Radio Pakistan.
The main points of the meeting, as Radio Pakistan reported them:
- Exports. Both sides agreed on the joint export accelerator programme.
- Climate. Ahsan Iqbal urged the ADB to set up a dedicated financing window for climate adaptation in highly vulnerable countries, beyond their normal country allocations.
- ML-1 railway. He passed on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's message to speed up formalities so that groundbreaking can happen soon. Kanda said the ADB is committed to ML-1 as a flagship project.
- Regional links. He stressed rail and road links between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, which could give CAREC countries access to Gwadar Port.
- Global lenders. He said global financial institutions must move beyond their post-war framework to deal with climate risk.
ML-1 is the planned upgrade of the main railway line from Karachi to Peshawar. It has been discussed for years. The ADB's commitment, as reported, is to support moving it forward. No new financing figure for ML-1 was given.
Exports are the government's main economic theme this week
The programme fits a wider push. On 1 October, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for "export-led growth" in a virtual address to a ceremony at the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Radio Pakistan reported. He also mentioned tax relief for exporters in this year's budget.
The government has made several export moves in recent months. These include a plan to cut average import tariffs from 20.19% to 9.7% by 2030, under the National Tariff Policy 2025-30. The Economic Coordination Committee also allowed a sugar export of 200,000 tonnes, and talks with Malaysia on more rice exports have not yet produced a deal. IT is the bright spot so far: IT exports in August 2026 rose 17% from a year earlier.
Ahsan Iqbal has also tied local promises to exports. On 24 September, his ministry said he would recommend a Faisalabad Expo Centre to the Prime Minister next year if the city's businesses raised exports by 20%.
Exporters should wait for the official details
Exporters cannot apply to this programme yet, because nothing has been published about how it will work. The first official documents to watch for are a Planning Ministry press release, an ADB news release or a project page on the ADB website.
When we checked on 1 October night, the Planning Ministry's press room had no release on the meeting. Its latest item was dated 24 September. The ADB's news page had no release on the programme either. Its Pakistan items that week were about CAREC as a whole.
Be wary of anyone who offers to register your firm for "ADB export funding" on the back of this news. There is no application process yet. When one exists, it will be on an official site.
Common questions
What is the Pakistan ADB export accelerator programme?
It is a joint programme that Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank agreed on 30 September 2026 to boost Pakistan's exports. Its details have not been published.
Who agreed the programme?
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and ADB President Masato Kanda, at a meeting on the sidelines of the CAREC Ministerial Conference in Mongolia.
How much money is involved?
No amount has been announced. Neither the government nor the ADB has said whether it involves a loan, a grant or technical help.
Can exporters apply?
Not yet. There is no application process. Wait for a Planning Ministry or ADB announcement before sharing any details with anyone.
Is the $100 billion export target official?
Reports link the programme to $100 billion in exports by 2035. We did not find that figure in an official statement about this programme.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 1 October 2026 at about 23:45 PKT. The agreement, the meeting and the ML-1, climate and connectivity points are from Radio Pakistan's report of 30 September. The CAREC figures are from the ADB news release of 29 September. The Prime Minister's remarks are from Radio Pakistan on 1 October, and the Faisalabad remarks from the Planning Ministry's press release of 24 September. The joint studies and the $100 billion link are as reported.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
