Pakistan forms joint group to cement role as ‘bridge’ linking Gulf, China

Pakistan has stepped up efforts to position itself as a regional logistics and transit hub, with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Friday chairing a high-level meeting to map out priority infrastructure projects linking the Middle East, Central Asia, China and beyond.

The minister announced the creation of a joint working group, bringing together the maritime, communications, railways and defence ministries, to produce a short list of workable projects in its first meeting next week. He also urged senior officials from key ministries and state institutions to identify projects for rapid funding, propose regulatory reforms, and strengthen trade and transport corridors.

Discussions focused on integrating Karachi Port, Port Qasim and Gwadar Port with regional transport corridors through rail, road and air networks. Junaid underlined the importance of the long-delayed ML-1 railway project, expected to boost freight and passenger traffic from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to southern ports, and said Pakistan must match its development agenda with the connectivity needs of partner countries.

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“We are not merely compiling lists of projects; we are shaping a national roadmap for logistics and connectivity,” he said, stressing that ports, shipping, aviation, IT systems, energy logistics and trade facilitation must all be factored into the plan. “Pakistan performs best under compressed timelines, and this is one such moment.”

Technical Advisor for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Jawad Akhtar proposed new projects with Saudi Arabia, including Karachi–KSA and Gwadar–KSA Gateway Terminals, expansion of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation fleet under Saudi partnership, start direct shipping lines from Karachi to Jeddah and Gwadar to Dammam, and establish 20 green ship recycling yards at Gaddani.

Other ministries outlined their own connectivity priorities. The communications ministry called for laying fiber optic cables along railway lines and expanding submarine cable networks, while also urging swift completion of the M-6 motorway linking Karachi to Sukkur, described as a missing link on the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor. It also highlighted a planned M-10 extension through the Khirthar mountains to complement existing motorways.

A petroleum ministry representative said a $300 million feasibility study for a new merchant oil terminal at Hub was underway as part of Pakistan State Oil’s infrastructure expansion strategy.

Junaid closed the meeting by pressing ministries to deliver a clear, investment-ready roadmap that would secure international financing and cement Pakistan’s role as a “central bridge” connecting the Gulf with Central Asia and China.