Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan will dispatch the first cargo train on 23rd March 2021 for Istanbul under Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) train service project, which is being considered as the game changer for trade and economic ties between the three countries and the region at large.

According to the officials, the first cargo train from Istanbul is expected to leave for Pakistan on March 15.

“Whilst multi-billion dollars China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) offers immense prospects to transform the economic landscape of Pakistan, the launch of ITI cargo train service will be a big step to strengthen the economic partnership amongst the three fraternal countries and is being anticipated to cause extensive economic changes in the region,” the official said.

Traders and experts have commended the development, saying the 6,500-kilometer railway line will save money, expedite cargo and container transportation, and greatly reduce travel time. The train had its first trial run in 2009, with a mission to strengthen trade and communication links among the three countries. However, after an exchange of 14 freight trains between Turkey and Pakistan, the logistical challenges, pending infrastructure developments and security concerns prompted the suspension of the service in late 2011.

The experts now are very upbeat about the utility of the train service among the three countries. They believe that in the long run, this route will probably make travel cheaper, safer and more enjoyable for travellers than air travel. This freight trade nexus will eventually boast the trade. Pakistan’s main exports are based on textiles and agricultural products. Normally, it takes upto 21 days, to travel from Pakistan to Turkey and upto 25 days to reach Western Europe via sea route. The ITI route will shorten the time. In a recent statement Adviser on Commerce Razaq Dawood confirmed that the train will complete the one side trip in about twelve days, and it will have a capacity of transporting 750 metric tons of commercial goods.

It merits mentioning here that Pakistan and Turkey during the visit of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year had agreed on the Strategic Economic Framework, to increase the bi-lateral trade volume between the two countries from the existing $800 million to $1 billion in the short-term and eventually to $5 billion. The freight service will be a supplement effort to bolster the volume of trade.

The train service will also help promote people-to-people contacts and with the development and modernization of rail infrastructure under ML-1, and increase in the frequency of train service, the facility can be used for transportation of Zaireen to Iran, both from Pakistan and Turkey.

According to government officials, sufficient arrangements have been made for the security of the train service as it will run through Balochistan province before entering or leaving Iran. They said that a robust fence is being constructed with the Iranian border which will help check the movement of undesirable elements. They said more than 45 percent of the Iranian border has been fenced and the rest will be completed by the end of this year. The border management will also help in countering the smuggling of commercial goods across the Pakistan-Iran border, among other illegal movements.

“The benefits of connectivity are undeniable vis-a-vis promotion of trade and economic relations,” an economist told this correspondent adding, “In this perspective, it is really heartening to see that the government is making endeavors to tap Pakistan’s geostrategic location through connectivity projects to make the country hub for regional and trans-regional trade.”