ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to improve transportation of goods at the Karachi port during his visit to the southern Pakistani city, Sharif’s office said on Sunday, amid Pakistan’s push to boost trade to support its fragile economy.
The prime minister issued the directives at a meeting he presided over with regard to the Karachi Port Trust, Port Qasim Authority and Pakistan National Shipping Corporation in Karachi, where he is expected to meet the business community during the day-long visit.
Sharif said Pakistan held a key geographical position in the region and provided the most convenient sea trade route for the Central Asian states, citing his recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Central Asian leaders in Kazakhstan.
“Central Asian states have expressed deep interest in using Pakistan’s ports for trade,” the prime minister was quoted as saying by his office. “Through modern system at ports and improved access to them, Pakistan can earn billions of dollars in foreign exchange.”
He directed authorities to keep the Lyari Expressway open for cargo round the clock to ensure uninterrupted transportation of goods to and from the Karachi Port Trust.
The Malir Expressway should be connected with the seaport to ensure swift delivery of goods, he said, adding instructing officials to enhance railways’ capacity to shift goods to the Karachi port.
“He stressed the need to ensure early installation of state-of-the-art scanning machinery at the seaports and called for steps for the capacity building of Pakistani ports to take full advantage of their potential,” Sharif’s office said.
The prime minister instructed authorities to decrease customs clearance time by installing modern equipment and machinery at the Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim.
Pakistan aims to enhance its role as a pivotal trade and transit hub connecting Central Asian republics with the rest of the world by leveraging its strategic geographical position.
The South Asian country has invested in infrastructure projects like roads, railways and pipelines while seeking greater economic connectivity under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative. In April this year, Pakistan opened its trade gateway to Central Asia with first potato shipment to Tajikistan.
During his day-long visit, Sharif is expected to meet business community in Karachi — Pakistan’s largest financial and industrial hub and home to over 20 million people.
The city has a vibrant business community and several industrial sites, but its deteriorating law and order situation and poor infrastructure have frustrated traders, who have regularly sought interventions from the government to resolve some of the metropolis’ teething issues.
“He is also expected to meet a delegation of businessmen from the export and import sectors,” Sharif’s office said, adding that the premier would be briefed on increasing the country’s national income, facilities for the business community and reforms in the export and import sectors.
“Important decisions will be taken in this regard,” it added.