NLC launches maiden transport facility, linking China to UAE via Pakistan
The National Logistics Corporation (NLC) has launched its maiden multimodal Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) transportation, linking China to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via Khunjerab Pass.
As a result of the development, the consignment from China is expected to reach the UAE in 10 days as compared to 30 days via sea route. According to the NLC the TIR system, an international customs transit framework, streamlines cross-border trade by enabling goods to move through multiple countries with minimal customs interference. The move is hailed as a “good omen” for Pakistan’s trade and logistics sectors. At over 4,600 meters above the sea level, the Khunjerab Pass connects Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region with China’s Xinjiang province, serving as a strategic gateway for trade between South Asia and Europe. The pass, situated in the Karakoram Range, has only facilitated bilateral trade in the past, with China primarily importing textiles, agricultural products and daily commodities, while exporting plants and herbs.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the NLC has maintained that the achievement signifies a major leap forward in the operationalization of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), utilizing the shortest and most efficient route from China to the Gulf region via Pakistan. This milestone also reflects a significant step towards ensuring year-round functionality of the Khunjerab Pass. The NLC has reminded that the journey commenced with one of its trucks, laden with electronic equipment, departing from Kashgar, China, en route to the Jebel Ali Port in Dubai. The first stop was at NLC Dry Port in Sost, where a ceremony marked the historic occasion. The cargo container, after being transported via NLC trucks from Kashgar to Karachi, will embark on the sea leg of its journey to its final destination at Jebel Ali Port.
Traders and local business leaders associated with the Khunjerab Pass have welcomed the launch and termed it a good omen for Pakistan’s economy. It would particularly benefit traders in the region and the local community in GB and adjoining areas. They are of the view that Pakistan will become a major trade hub as China gets access to the Middle East through this route. The business community is of the view that economic activities in GB and Gwadar will get a boost and unemployment will end in the region. The launching of TIR between China and the Middle East through Pakistan will change the fate of the country, they say.
This development enhances regional connectivity in Pakistan, paving the way for improved trade and economic integration. The country will make more revenue and the economic conditions of traders and locals will improve further, they opine. According to the GB collectorate of Customs, a record revenue of Rs9.5 billion was collected from the Sost Dry Port during the first two quarters of the fiscal year 2024-25, compared to Rs6.5 billion during the corresponding period last year. Additionally, the anti-smuggling team confiscated goods worth Rs600 million.
