GILGIT: The inaugural shipment from China to Afghanistan via the Khunjerab border in Gilgit-Baltistan, under the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) Convention, commenced on Monday. The initial shipment commenced its journey from China’s Kashgar city. It entered Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass and is destined for Kabul, Afghanistan.

In June this year, a cargo of goods was dispatched from Sost Dry Port to Kazakhstan through the Khunjerab Pass as part of transit trade.

The inaugural ceremony of the event took place at Sost Dry Port and was attended by GB Collector Customs Syed Fawad Ali Shah, Transit Trade Peshawar Director Arbab Qaiser, Hunza Deputy Commissioner Ghazanfar Ali, government officials and trade representatives.

The speakers highlighted that this transit route would significantly reduce travel time, almost by 70 per cent and cut logistics costs by 30pc. The reduced time and cost of moving goods will help create positive trade diversion. The operationalisation of TIR along with Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement — between China, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — and other regional transit and trade arrangements like One Belt One Road and Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation corridors can help Pakistan become a major hub of transit trade.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2023