ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has invited member states of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) to integrate their value chains with Pakistan’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and explore the development of cross-border industrial clusters.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal extended the invitation while speaking at the fifth annual CAREC Institute Research Conference, held in collaboration with the University of Sargodha.
The event, titled “CAREC Connectivity: Promoting Trade and Trade Facilitation,” included participation from national and international organizations such as the Islamic Development Bank, Pakistan Single Window, Allama Iqbal Open University, International Road Transport Union, Sustainable Development Policy Institute, and others.
Iqbal highlighted the limited intra-regional trade among CAREC countries, which stands at about 7 percent of total trade, compared to over 22 percent among ASEAN states. He attributed the gap to underdeveloped logistics and fragmented regulations.
The minister said Pakistan’s development vision, ‘URAAN Pakistan,’ aligns with CAREC Vision 2030 and is built on five pillars: exports, equity, digital transformation, environment, and infrastructure. He said the country is promoting high-value exports such as IT and engineering goods, with IT exports surpassing $3.5 billion and growing annually.
He said Pakistan is expanding green energy investments and aims to install 10,000 MW of solar capacity by 2027. Iqbal proposed the creation of a CAREC Green Energy Corridor to connect producers in the north with consumers in the south.
He noted the Pakistan Single Window system has cut customs clearance times from eight days to less than 48 hours and is being integrated with Central Asian trade corridors. Under the TIR Convention, Pakistan has facilitated hundreds of cargo shipments between China, Central Asia, and the Middle East, reducing costs and transit times.
Iqbal cited CPEC as a regional asset, reporting that over 3,000 km of roads and 11 GW of power have been added. He said Phase II of CPEC will focus on industrial cooperation and joint ventures in SEZs.
He also proposed the creation of a CAREC Digital Trade Corridor to link e-customs and logistics systems, and a CAREC Green Energy Corridor to support clean energy goals.
The minister said regional trust and integration require cooperation in education and labor mobility. He encouraged harmonized standards, exchange programs, and visa facilitation for business and academic travellers.
