Ahsan stresses shortest trade routes with Central Asia
Business
He directed that a thorough assessment of this route’s feasibility be undertaken
ISLAMABAD (APP) - Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Professor Ahsan Iqbal on Wednesday urged the establishment of the shortest possible trade linkages by road, rail and sea with the Central Asian States (CASs), directing the authorities concerned to prioritise projects for the first phase of multi-modal connectivity through new trade corridors.
He said this while chairing the second consultative meeting of the Working Group on Multimodal Connectivity, which was attended by key government stakeholders, including the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Finance, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, and the Aviation Division, a news release said.
During the meeting, the working group presented a comprehensive review of currently operational trade corridors and proposed new routes to strengthen regional connectivity.
In follow-up to the previous meeting, the Ministry of Communications had been tasked with reviewing existing transport infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, and policy instruments along identified trade corridors.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Ministry of Railways, and the Aviation Division were assigned to evaluate relevant regional and international agreements that could facilitate economic integration through new routes.
Highlighting Turkmenistan as a comparatively shorter and viable transit option, Ahsan Iqbal directed that a thorough assessment of this route’s feasibility be undertaken.
Reflecting on his recent visit to Turkmenistan for the 1st ECO Ministerial Forum on Sustainable Development, the minister noted the country’s keen interest in fostering regional connectivity.
On a query regarding Turkmenistan’s potential use of Gwadar Port, the minister was apprised by Ministry of Maritime Affairs that the port is operational, and 100 acres of land have been allocated for an off-dock terminal.
The PC-1 for its development is under preparation for proposed inclusion in PSDP 2025–26.
Recalling the prospect of Gwadar–Oman sea connectivity as discussed in previous meeting, the Minister advised the concerned Ministry to share progress on this initiative in the next meeting.
Ahsan Iqbal further emphasized the need for effective phasing in the planning of the multimodal connectivity network to identify infrastructural and policy challenges that may arise in the development of new trade corridors.
The Ministry of Communications presented a three years’ summary of the movement of NLC trucks operating through three key trade corridors: the Trans-Afghan Corridor, the North-South Corridor, and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The ministry officials briefed the minister that in 2023, Pakistan transported the highest number of trucks to Uzbekistan, as compared to other Central Asian countries. In 2024, Afghanistan took the lead as the primary recipient of Pakistani trucked exports.
