Daily Times

The National Logistic Cell (NLC) is trying to open the land routes of Pakistan to the Central Asian states through China to materialize the prospects of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship project, said Director General, NLC, Major Gen. Farrukh Shahzad Rao.

“We’re trying to open the land routes of Pakistan to Central Asia especially through China to materialize the prospects of China Pakistan Economic Corridor,” he told APP on the sidelines of the China International Fair for Trade in Service (CIFTIS) in Beijing.

The NLC has set up a booth in the Pakistan Pavilion at CIFTIS to showcase their accomplishment particularly their role in promoting trade between the regional countries.

He informed that the NLC has been able to open trade route from Kashgar, Xinjiang to Karachi and has joint ventures with Chinese logistic companies.

“So not only loads from Western China, we are getting loads from Shanghai, which are being brought either to Tashkurgan or Urumqi or Kashgar and then we are taking those loads to Karachi,” he added.

Farrukh Shahzad said that the NLC is also helping in boosting trade between the regional countries and added, “We are moving now cargo from Afghanistan to Kashgar and Kashgar to Kabul.” He said that in the bigger context, the company is now having trade convoys going to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan for the first time.

“We are also providing facilities to our traders to go to Türkiye and we are doing round trips and we are planning to go via road to Moscow very soon,” he added. The director general expressed confidence that the NLC will integrate the whole region as far as the regional trade is concerned.

“The NLC is taking the lead in that and once, we are able to establish these trade lines, we will also be looking for multimodal transport,” he added.

Farrukh Shahzad said that the government of Pakistan is working to bring out the real potential of Pakistan as a transit trade hub. That is why we are visiting Beijing and participating in the event to present our products to different countries and clients.

He informed that he and his delegation will also be meeting the Chinese officials during the visit.

“We have fixed meeting with some of the logistics companies. We also have a marine service and an air service available. So, we are giving the complete solution to any trader who wants to have the business with us,” he added.

He said that the NLC delegation will also visit different cities of China including Jinan, Shandong province, adding, “We are going to present our products to companies which have contacted us. So, I think it will be good for both China and Pakistan.”