Business leaders for shift from road to water transport

KARACHI: The country’s top business leaders on Tuesday called for a shift from road to water transport to cut logistics costs and revive economic competitiveness.

A high-profile session on “Inland Water Management and Business Opportunities,” hosted by FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh, featured a detailed presentation by water expert Commodore Naeem Sarfraz on the strategic, economic and commercial viability of inland water transport in Pakistan. Atif Ikram Sheikh said unlocking the potential of inland water transport was in the interest of the national economy, noting that the sector’s scope was immense and that highly profitable business opportunities existed across various segments of water transport and management.

He said the world was reaping economic benefits from natural resources, and that FPCCI was committed to promoting water transport and management to make Pakistan globally competitive.

He proposed that a strategic inland water route could be developed stretching from Attock to Karachi, describing it as an efficient transport system for the country.

Commodore Naeem Sarfraz, in his presentation, said some East-to-West commercial operations had already commenced, and that North-to-South operations may be launched soon with support from stakeholders.

S M Tanveer, Patron-in-Chief of the United Business Group (UBG), underscored the scale of private sector opportunity in the sector, saying logistics and cost efficiency remained a major challenge for Pakistani businesses. He noted that road transport volume currently stands at 239 billion tons, and said shifting cargo to water transport could reduce logistics costs by up to 10 times compared to road transport and up to 3 times compared to rail.

Saquib Fayyaz Maggo, Senior Vice President of FPCCI, said encouraging investors was the need of the hour and that FPCCI would actively facilitate its members in investing in the water transport sector. He cited Bangladesh as a regional example of a country that had successfully adopted and benefited from inland water transport.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026