Deputy PM calls for modernizing port infrastructure to boost Pakistan trade competitiveness
Dar said this at a meeting he presided over in Islamabad to review operations at Pakistani ports and proposals to enhance efficiency, reduce turnaround times and ensure smooth cargo handling.
Pakistan is currently making efforts to capitalize on its geostrategic location to boost trade and investment alongside tourism as it slowly recovers from a macroeconomic crisis under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
'The meeting covered measures to address port congestion, strengthen trade facilitation, and improve logistics systems to support imports, exports and overall economic activity,' the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
Officials say the South Asian country plans to cut container dwell time at its seaports by up to 70 percent to improve trade competitiveness and ease congestion. Islamabad last month reduced port charges for exporters by 50 percent at the second largest Port Qasim.
Earlier this month, Pakistan granted its first-ever ferry service license to an international operator, Sea Keepers, for routes connecting Pakistan with Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the Pakistani maritime affairs ministry said on Monday.
Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry hailed the move as a 'historic step,' aligned with Pakistan's National Maritime Policy, and emphasized the opportunity this license creates for boosting regional connectivity, religious tourism and economic activity via sea routes.
'Initial operations will commence from the ports of Karachi and Gwadar using modern ferry vessels equipped with essential amenities to ensure safe, affordable travel,' Chaudhry was quoted as saying by his ministry.
It did not specify a date for the start of operations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
18 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Pakistani militants kill six policemen in eight targeted attacks
Militants in Pakistan's northwest carried out eight overnight gun and grenade attacks targeting the police, killing six officers, an official said on Thursday. The attacks targeted police stations, checkpoints and patrols across seven districts in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, police officer Mohammad Ali Babakhel said, as the nation of 240 million people celebrated its 78th independence day. The militants used rocket-propelled grenade launchers in some of the attacks, he said, adding six officers were killed and another nine injured. A spike in the attacks in recent months is a tough challenge to handle for the overstretched and under-equipped police force, the frontline against militant attacks. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Pakistani militant group with links to the Afghan Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The TTP is an umbrella group of several extremist groups. It has been fighting against the state since 2007 in a bid to overthrow the government and replace it with its version of religious law. Attacks have accelerated since the TTP revoked a ceasefire with the Pakistani government in late 2022. In 2024, militants carried out 335 countrywide attacks, killing 520 people, according to the Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, an independent organization. Pakistan says the militants operate out of neighboring Afghanistan, where they train fighters and plan attacks, a charge Kabul has denied.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
India, China eye resuming border trade
India and China are discussing resuming border trade five years after it was halted, foreign ministry officials on both sides have said, as US tariffs disrupt the global trade order. Past trade across the icy and high-altitude Himalayan border passes between the neighbors was usually small in volume, but any resumption is significant for its symbolism. The two major economic powers have long competed for strategic influence across South Asia. But caught in global trade and geopolitical turbulence triggered by US President Donald Trump's tariff regime, the countries have moved to mend ties. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected for talks in New Delhi on Monday, according to Indian media, after his counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Beijing in July. That, as well as agreements to resume direct flights and issue tourist visas, has been seen as an effort to rebuild a relationship damaged after a deadly border clash in 2020 between their nations' troops. 'For a long time, China-India border trade cooperation has played an important role in improving the lives of people living along the border,' China's foreign ministry said in a statement to AFP on Thursday. It added that the two sides have 'reached a consensus on cross-border exchanges and cooperation, including resumption of border trade'. New Delhi's junior foreign minister, Kirti Vardhan Singh, told parliament last week that 'India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade'. No restart date was given by either side. Successive US administrations have seen India as a longstanding ally with like-minded interests when it comes to China. India is part of the Quad security alliance with the United States, as well as Australia and Japan. But ties between New Delhi and Washington have been strained by Trump's ultimatum for India to end its purchases of Russian oil, a key source of revenue for Moscow as it wages its military offensive in Ukraine. The United States will double new import tariffs on India from 25 percent to 50 percent by August 27 if New Delhi does not switch crude suppliers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Indian media, might also visit China in late August. It would be Modi's first visit since 2018, although it has not been confirmed officially. Beijing has said that 'China welcomes Prime Minister Modi' for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit opening on August 31.
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
China supports Thailand, Cambodia reconciliation, foreign minister says
China expressed support for Thailand and Cambodia in resolving their border dispute and offered to provide assistance based on the wishes of both nations, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a statement on Thursday. Wang said China supports the Southeast Asian countries in strengthening dialogue, and hopes they rebuild mutual trust. He met his counterparts on the sidelines of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Foreign Ministers' Meeting in China's southwestern Yunnan province.
