Daily Times

Following successful commercial cargo transportation to Turkey and Azerbaijan under the Transport Internationaux International (TIR) convention, NLC has achieved yet another significant milestone by successfully delivering consignments to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan via land route through Afghanistan. This accomplishment aligns with the government’s policy to explore untapped markets in Central Asia by enhancing regional connectivity.

The trailblazing initiative offers a door-to-door transportation solution, resulting in a remarkable 70-80% reduction in transit time compared to existing arrangements. NLC’s convoy of eight trucks loaded with 40-foot containers carrying commercial cargo from Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Peshawar embarked on the journey to Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Almaty, and Astana (Kazakhstan). The trucks covered 3800 kilometers and 4600 from Karachi to Almaty and Astana respectively. A distance of 3000 kilometers was covered from Karachi to Tashkent. Upon their return, these vehicles will carry reverse loads to Pakistan.

NLC’s TIR operations to Central Asia provide a one-window solution, eliminating the need for truck exchanges at borders. This has proven highly beneficial to exporters and importers, significantly reducing the cost of doing business by eliminating multiple intermediaries and simplifying the border documentation processes. Additionally, it reduces transit time, eliminates demurrage and detention charges and removes the hassles often associated with cross-border trade.

It is a moment of great pride for NLC as Pakistani trucks entered Kazakhstan for the first time under the bilateral transport agreement between Pakistan and Kazakhstan, known as the “Agreement on International Motor Transportation Between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” which was signed in 1995 and implemented into 2023.

The utilization of TIR transportation will not only save the precious foreign exchange as freight charges are incurred in PKR but also improve Pakistan’s ranking in the Logistics Performance Index.

International Road Union (IRU), diplomatic mission of Kazakhstan and business communities of the three countries have welcomed initiation of land route connectivity by NLC using the instrument of TIR.