Abid Raza
LAHORE, August 27 – Ambassador of Nepal Rita Dhital stressed the need for direct air connectivity, frequent exchange of trade delegations, single-country exhibitions and business-to-business matchmaking to strengthen trade, investment and tourism relations between Pakistan and Nepal.
She said direct air links would facilitate business travel, tourism and people-to-people contacts, recalling that Nepal Airlines had previously operated flights to Karachi, while Pakistan International Airlines had operated flights from Islamabad to Kathmandu until 2011. She also invited Pakistani business leaders to explore investment opportunities in Nepal in tourism and hospitality, hydropower and clean energy, and information technology.
The Ambassador was speaking at an interactive session at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she met with LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral trade and economic relations.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol welcomed Ambassador Rita Dhital to the Chamber and said Pakistan and Nepal enjoy excellent diplomatic relations and have maintained friendly ties since 1960. He noted both countries are members of SAARC and that LCCI has always supported regional peace and stronger trade and economic relations among SAARC countries.
Former LCCI President Mian Anjum Nisar, Vice President Khurram Lodhi, Executive Committee Members Firdous Nisar, Abdul Majeed, Imran Saleemi, Rana Shouban Akhtar and Nadeem Ansari, along with Mujahid Ur Rehman, Hamid Ullah Khan and other business representatives, were also present.
President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol appreciated the Ambassador for maintaining good liaison with LCCI and said the Chamber looked forward to developing stronger working relations with the Embassy of Nepal and discussing matters of mutual interest.
He said the bilateral trade volume, averaging just over US$4 million, did not match the excellent relations between Pakistan and Nepal. According to State Bank of Pakistan trade data, Pakistan’s exports to Nepal during 2025-26 were around US$1.4 million, while imports from Nepal stood at around US$2.8 million.
He said Pakistan’s major exports to Nepal included surgical instruments, pharmaceutical products, articles of apparel and spices, while imports from Nepal included plants used for perfumery, cardamom, opium fibre and orthopedic appliances.
President Saigol also emphasized the potential for cooperation in tourism and hospitality. He said Nepal was home to Mount Everest while Pakistan had K2, adding that joint ventures in hospitality and ecotourism could help attract international tourists to a South Asian adventure tourism corridor.
Speaking further, Ambassador Rita Dhital said Nepal and Pakistan shared decades of warm and friendly relations built on mutual trust, mutual respect and common aspirations for development. However, she said economic and commercial ties did not yet reflect the true potential of their political and diplomatic relationship.
She recalled that Nepal and Pakistan signed a trade agreement in 1982, while the Nepal-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission was established in 1983 at the level of finance ministers. An agreement on avoidance of double taxation was signed in 2001, while a Joint Business Council was established in 1996 between the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry. She also recalled that an MoU between the Nepal Chamber of Commerce and LCCI was concluded in 1993.
The Ambassador said governments could sign agreements, but it was the business community that turned those agreements into economic reality. She urged the business communities of both countries to operationalize existing agreements and memorandums of understanding through regular business exchanges and concrete commercial initiatives.
She said Pakistani investors had previously entered into joint ventures in textile industries, hotels and banking sectors in Nepal. She identified textiles, leather products and surgical equipment as promising areas for Pakistani businesses, while Nepal could export high-quality tea, coffee, herbs, handicrafts and agricultural products to Pakistan.
Ambassador Dhital highlighted tourism and hospitality as a major area of cooperation, saying Pakistani companies could explore Nepal’s growing tourism industry, including luxury resorts and adventure tourism. She also invited Pakistani investors to participate in Nepal’s hydropower and clean energy sector, which she described as offering long-term investment opportunities.
The Ambassador invited the leadership and members of LCCI to lead a trade delegation to Nepal and assured them of the Embassy’s full support in organizing B2B matchmaking. She also offered necessary assistance to Pakistani businesses interested in organizing single-country exhibitions in Nepal. She said around 5,000 Pakistanis visited Nepal in 2025 and highlighted that Pakistani citizens are eligible for visa on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, with the first 30-day visa in a calendar year being free of charge.
