Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have completed their first commercial cargo delivery from Dubai to Tajikistan through Karachi, in a most time-efficient route choice.
On Monday, Pakistan’s state-run National Logistics Cell (NLC) in partnership with Dubai-based logistics giant DP World transported 38 tons of automotive spare parts from Jebel Ali port in the UAE to Dushanbe via Karachi, achieving transit in a record-fast 16 days.
The new corridor significantly trims delivery times, where other existing routes typically require 20 to 70 days, making this development a major efficiency boost for regional trade.
DP World, in a video statement, said that this rapid transit underscores Pakistan’s rising regional logistics role and serves a growing demand from Central Asian markets.
In January 2024, NLC and DP World signed agreements to upgrade Qasim International Container Terminal and develop the Karachi Freight Corridor, paving the way for smoother cargo movement across the country.
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More recently, plans were revealed to launch a “Pakistan Mart” near Jebel Ali port, built by DP World at no cost to Pakistani stakeholders, to showcase Pakistani goods to international buyers.
Pakistan’s strategic push for enhanced connectivity aligns with the UAE’s status as one of its largest trade partners.
According to the UAE foreign ministry, the Gulf nation has invested over $10 billion in Pakistan in the last two decades and is home to approximately 1.8 million Pakistani expatriates, a vital economic and cultural link.
Pakistan has long tried to position itself as a transit corridor, helping Central Asia connect with the region by pacing up its trade deliveries. This vision has required large scale infrastructure which is gradually taking shape.
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