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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s sesame seed exports to China jumped 87% in the first nine months of 2025, reaching $68.56 million, state media reported on Wednesday, as rising Chinese demand for edible oils and traditional food products drives a growing market for the oilseed.

The increase is attributed to the high quality of Pakistan’s sesame crop, favorable climatic conditions, and stronger trade links under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Pakistan exported 55.61 million kilograms of sesame seeds to China from January to September 2025 at an average price of $1.23 per kg, compared with 23.95 million kg during the same period last year.

“In September 2024, we successfully organized the ‘Sesame Trade and Investment Opportunities in China’ event,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi was quoted as saying by the Associated Press of Pakistan. 

“A 23-member Pakistani delegation secured deals for 15,000 metric tons and signed a $28 million memorandum of understanding with Daming government-backed enterprises.”

China is the world’s largest sesame-importing nation, consuming roughly 1.5 million tons a year while producing only about 320,000 tons domestically. Pakistan’s 55,000-ton exports still represent a small share of China’s total imports but mark a significant breakthrough for Pakistani agribusiness, which has traditionally lagged behind African competitors such as Ethiopia, Tanzania and Nigeria that supply more than half of China’s demand.

Pakistani officials say sesame seeds are now a strategic export item, supporting the government’s push to expand agricultural exports under the CPEC framework. 

According to Hashmi, 177 Pakistani sesame companies are now registered in China, signaling deeper integration into the regional supply chain for edible oils, snacks and health products.

Experts expect Pakistan’s sesame trade to continue growing despite recent floods that damaged cropland, citing improved processing capacity and higher global prices. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has also reported an uptick in overall agricultural exports, with seafood shipments to China climbing above $153 million in the same period.

For Beijing, sesame imports have become essential to secure edible-oil supplies as China’s domestic oilseed output remains constrained by land and water limitations. 

For Pakistan, they represent a rare bright spot in export diversification, offering new income for farmers, valuable foreign exchange and a path toward greater agri-industrial cooperation with its largest trading partner. 

ISLAMABAD: Imperial College London on Tuesday rejected a claim by the provincial administration of Punjab that it would open an overseas campus in the eastern city of Lahore as part of the planned Nawaz Sharif IT City.

A flagship infrastructure project spanning about 853 acres near Bedian Road, the initiative aims to serve as an education and tech hub with commercial and residential zones.

The provincial government announced last week that Imperial College would be established in the same vicinity, with a foundation stone to be laid in November.

“Reports that Imperial College London plans to open a campus overseas are incorrect,” the UK-based institution said on its website.

“There have been erroneous reports in the media and online that Imperial is opening a campus at Nawaz Sharif IT City in Lahore, Pakistan,” it added. “Imperial has no such plans, with all the university’s campuses based in the UK.”

Nawaz Sharif IT City is backed by the Punjab administration of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz who has named the initiative after her father who previously served three times as the country’s prime minister.

The project promises to make Lahore a major regional hub for technology, education and innovation.

Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said in a social media post on October 18 the chief minister had chaired a meeting in which “important decisions were made.”

“An Imperial College London campus will be established in Nawaz Sharif IT City, which will also include a state-of-the-art 300-bed hospital,” she said. “The foundation stone for the project will be laid in November.”

“The Chief Minister directed that the Central Business District Project, Ravi Urban Development Authority, and Nawaz Sharif IT City be completed as soon as possible,” she added.