KARACHI: Pakistan-Turkish Joint Business Council of FPCCI Chairman, Amjad Rafi has appreciated the opening of the direct land route to Turkey for trade.
He acknowledged the efforts by the National Logistics Cell (NLC) which materialized and Transports Internationaux Routiers ( International Road Transports) license/permit was issued for the route for transportation of goods from Pakistan to Turkey, said in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The senior business leader said this would not only save shipment time but freight as shipping companies were charging five times high.
He said it was a long pending ‘recommendation’ of PTJBC in all Joint meetings and other relevant forums. If this route succeeded, in the longer run Central Asian countries on one side and Europe on the other would be easily accessible.
Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad road corridor was going to be revived by NLC to perform the first commercial run by transporting high-value products from Pakistan to Turkey in the last week of this month. The NLC started transporting high-value products loaded in 40-feet containers on three trailers from Islamabad to Istambul via Taftan, Zahidan and Tehran.
The high-value products were packed and sealed properly and generally transported from one place to another through containers to ensure their safe delivery to receivers.
These products included textile-related equipment, raw material, electronics, plastic, household items, computers, home appliances, non-perishable food items, dry fruit, furniture and carpets.
“Revival of ITI road corridor will improve and strengthen regional connectivity of Pakistan with Iran and Turkey,” he added.
For regional transport operations and connectivity, NLC, the national flag carrier, had been granted last month the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) license/ admission by the Pakistan National Authorization Committee of the International Transport Union. Under the TIR admission, the NLC has been allowed for the movement of cargo across the borders without procedural fatigue.
PTJBC Chairman said Turkey was a gateway to European countries, with a huge market for textile raw material i.e. denim, yarn and Pakistan would be able to transport the raw material to Europe much before Bangladesh. Â
Against shipping time of around one month, he said, through the land route the shipment would reach Turkey or vice versa in ten days. The service would be beneficial for both exporters and importers.
