Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal on Tuesday called for transforming CAREC transport routes into next-generation economic corridors by integrating infrastructure, logistics, digital connectivity, energy cooperation and climate resilience. Participating in a session of the 25th Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Ministerial Conference here, the minister said Pakistan viewed CAREC Corridors 5 and 6 as an opportunity to connect Central Asia with the Arabian Sea and generate economic activity along the routes.
“The question is no longer simply, ‘Can a truck travel this route?’ It is, ‘Can a business use this route reliably, competitively and profitably?’” he said. Ahsan Iqbal said transforming regional corridors required completion of the transport chain through upgraded CAREC roads, modern border facilities at Torkham and Chaman, stronger rail freight capacity through the proposed ML-1 upgrade, and efficient links to dry ports and seaports.
He stressed the need to establish logistics and production hubs at strategic locations, saying cold storage, packaging, warehousing and light manufacturing could transform transit traffic into exports, jobs and value for communities along the corridors.
The minister also called for building a digital corridor across the CAREC region, noting that Pakistan Single Window provided a foundation for phased digital integration with regional partners. “A consignment’s documents should be checked before it reaches the border,” he said.—APP
