Railway network: Pak, Afghan, Uzbekistan connectivity termed game changer

PESHAWAR: Chairman Standing Committee of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Railways and Dry Port, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi has said the plan of connecting Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan through a railway network will prove as `Game Changer’ with the passage of time.

In a press statement issued here on Friday, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi who is also Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) said signing of tripartite agreement between the three countries for developing railway network is a very welcoming step and would have very far reaching positive impact on the economy of the whole region.

It merits a mention here that Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have signed a tripartite agreement last week to connect the three countries through a railway network.

The agreement will not only provide access to Pakistani products to Central Asian Republics and Russia but also to the Baltic estates, Zia expressed the hope.

The route will also help in reducing the import cost up to 40 percent by connecting the railway link from Tarmand in Uzbekistan to Mazhar Shari (Loghar province) in Afghanistan and Kharlachi in Pakistan, observed Zia in the statement.

The new route, he continued, will also reduce trade goods delivery time by five days between Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

Zia said Pakistan has been striving for the last several years to promote commercial, social and cultural relations with Central Asian countries and this project will make the dream come true.

Similarly, the landlocked Central Asian Republics can utilize Pakistan seaports for transportation of goods to Middle East and African countries by availing the facility of new rail link, he continued.

The project on completion in 2027 will make Pakistan a connectivity hub in the region and apart from increasing regional trade, will also help in enhancing travelling by people.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023