ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Industry Abdul Razak Dawood said that a new milestone has been achieved with the first-ever truck from Uzbekistan reaching Pakistan under the TIR Convention.
This was the result of collaboration between the transport companies of the two sides, he said adding this follows the successful shipment of first-ever cargo from Pakistan to Uzbekistan earlier this month. The adviser said that this is the beginning of a new era where trucks from both sides will take trade cargo to and from Karachi and Gwadar ports.
The project for Pakistan and Uzbekistan transit trade and export goods to Pakistan through the territory of Afghanistan was launched a in Islamabad.
According to the Ministry of Commerce, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Pakistan together with Pakistani transport company Best Trans Pvt. Ltd. and Uzbek freight forwarding company Asad Trans for the first time implemented pilot trans-Afghan logistics project for the direct delivery of Uzbek export goods to Pakistan through the territory of Afghanistan.
The statement added that the implementation of the specified transit transportation of Uzbek goods is the implementation of trans-Afghan transport and logistics projects initiated by the President of Uzbekistan.
The successful implementation of the project will significantly reduce the cost of transportation of Uzbek goods, including shipping at Uzbek-Afghan border, and subsequently at Afghan-Pakistan border in accordance with TIR CARNET Convention, members of which are Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
On May 11, a cargo vehicle with Uzbek license plates safely crossed the Afghan transit route in two days and reached the Torkham checkpoint in Peshawar. The vehicle transports from Uzbekistan processed leather products (wet blue) for Pakistani leather factories.
There are further plans for regular direct delivery of Uzbek export goods (coal, mineral fertilizers and textiles) to the cities of Lahore, Karachi, Taxila and Faisalabad.
