Sheikhupura Dry Port: Korean Rail to join freight trains operation

The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), President Shahzad Ali Malik, has said that Korean Rail has been taken on board for having freight trains for Sheikhupura Dry Port and hoped that Pakistan Railways would hand over land to the Sheikhupura Dryport Trust soon.
The LCCI President, who is also Co-Chairman of the Trust, stated this while briefing a seven-member delegation of the chemical sector here on Thursday. On the occasion, the delegation members decided to become trustees of the dry port. Malik, while appreciating the positive contribution of members of chemical sector, said that the establishment of Sheikhupura Dry Trust would go a long way in strengthening the economy of the country.
He said that establishment of a state-of-the-art Dry Port means facilitating the importers and exporters who are earning much-needed foreign exchange for the country. He said that all other segments of the economy would also be taken as trustees of Sheikhupura Dry Port Trust.
He said that Sheikhupura Dry Port is strategically placed at the doorsteps of five major industrial and commercial cities including Lahore, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura, Gujrat and Sargodha. He said that the Dry Port would play a major role in reducing delivery time and cost of both exports and imported goods and raw materials. Apart from ensuring a drastic cut in overall production cost, the establishment of Sheikhupura Dry Port would also improve the competitiveness of local manufacturers.
He said that the social and economic impact of Sheikhupura Dry Port would lead to substantial improvement in the standard of livings as it is bound to attract new investments and employment opportunities. The Co-chairman said that the sole objective of having another Dry Port is to make the trade and industry competitive by reducing delivery time and cost.
He said that the successful models of private sector-managed Dry Port already exist in the shape of Faisalabad Dry Port and Sialkot Dry Port. He also paid rich tributes to MNA Ayyaz Sadiq, Chairman NA Standing Committee on Railways, for playing a proactive role for the smooth sailing of Sheikhupura Dry Port Project.