Pakistan is intensifying its efforts to establish itself as a regional logistics and transit hub, with Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry, leading a high-level meeting on Friday to identify priority infrastructure projects connecting the Middle East, Central Asia, China, and beyond.
The minister announced the formation of a joint working group, involving the maritime, communications, railways, and defense ministries, to create a shortlist of actionable projects in its first meeting next week. He called on senior officials from key ministries to identify fast-track funding opportunities, propose regulatory reforms, and strengthen trade and transport corridors.
The meeting focused on integrating Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and Gwadar Port with regional transport corridors through rail, road, and air networks. Junaid highlighted the importance of the delayed ML-1 railway project, expected to enhance freight and passenger traffic from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to southern ports, and emphasized the need to align Pakistan’s development goals with regional connectivity demands.
“We are not just listing projects; we are creating a national roadmap for logistics and connectivity,” Junaid said, stressing the need to incorporate ports, shipping, aviation, IT systems, energy logistics, and trade facilitation into the plan. He added that Pakistan excels when working under tight timelines, calling this an opportunity to push for swift progress.
Muhammad Jawad Akhtar, Technical Advisor for Maritime Affairs, proposed new initiatives with Saudi Arabia, including the development of Karachi-KSA and Gwadar-KSA Gateway Terminals, expanding the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation fleet with Saudi partnerships, establishing direct shipping routes from Karachi to Jeddah and Gwadar to Dammam, and setting up 20 green ship recycling yards at Gaddani.
Other ministries also outlined their connectivity priorities. The communications ministry emphasized laying fiber optic cables along railway lines, expanding submarine cable networks, and completing the M-6 motorway from Karachi to Sukkur, a crucial link for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The petroleum ministry also highlighted a $300 million feasibility study for a new oil terminal at Hub as part of Pakistan State Oil’s infrastructure expansion.
The meeting concluded with Minister Junaid urging ministries to develop an investment-ready roadmap that would secure international financing and solidify Pakistan’s position as a central bridge connecting the Gulf, Central Asia, and China.
