BITE 2026: Balochistan targets investment growth through strategic partnerships

QUETTA: The Balochistan government is pursuing an ambitious agenda to transform the province into a hub for national and international investment by promoting trade and business activities, Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade (BBoIT) Vice Chairman Bilal Khan Kakar said on Saturday.

He was speaking at ceremonies held to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Balochistan Board of Investment and Trade and several leading business and trade organisations in connection with the upcoming Balochistan Investment and Trade Expo (BITE) 2026.

The agreements were signed with the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Quetta Chamber of Small Industries, Women Chamber of Commerce, and the Pak-Iran Joint Chamber of Commerce, reflecting a collaborative effort to strengthen investment promotion and business development across the province.

The event was attended by BBoIT Chief Executive Officer Abdul Manan, Senior Vice President of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry Mirza Khan Khilji, former chamber president Haji Ayub Mariani, Patron-in-Chief of the Quetta Chamber of Small Industries Haji Wali Muhammad, former FPCCI president Haji Daru Khan Achakzai, Farzana Karim Baloch of the Women Chamber of Commerce, and other prominent members of the business community.

Bilal Kakar said that the Balochistan Investment and Trade Expo (BITE) 2026, scheduled to be held in Quetta on November 18 and 19, would serve as a major platform for highlighting the province’s investment and trade potential. He noted that several chambers of commerce had been brought on board as partners to ensure the active participation of the business community and to foster closer interaction among local industrialists, traders and investors.

“The vision of Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti is to promote investment and commercial activity in Balochistan and position the province as a destination for national and international investors,” Kakar said, adding that the provincial government and the investment board were undertaking a range of initiatives to achieve this objective.

He emphasised that Balochistan offers significant investment opportunities across a range of sectors, including minerals, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, energy, tourism, and other emerging industries. According to Kakar, the investment board is working closely with the private sector, trade associations and relevant institutions to convert these opportunities into tangible investment projects.

The vice chairman said the agreements signed with various chambers were aimed at enhancing mutual cooperation, strengthening business linkages, expanding trade activities and creating greater market access for products originating from Balochistan at both national and international levels.

He reiterated the board’s commitment to working alongside the private sector and the wider business community to advance investment promotion efforts and support economic development in line with the chief minister’s vision for the province.