Pakistan pushes CAREC corridor upgrade ahead of 2027 chairmanship

Pakistan has pressed for the CAREC transport network to evolve into joined-up economic corridors, according to Mettis Global. Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal described Corridors 5 and 6 as a chance to link Central Asia with the Arabian Sea, boosting trade, investment and business along those routes. Addressing the 25th CAREC gathering in Ulaanbaatar, he said the focus should shift from roads to dependable goods movement.

Iqbal called for a complete transport chain, with upgraded CAREC roads, modernised border posts at Torkham and Chaman, stronger rail freight via the planned ML-1 line, and smoother links between dry ports and seaports. He also suggested logistics and production hubs along key corridors, which he said could turn transit cargo into exports. Pakistan also proposed a digital link across the region, built on the Pakistan Single Window.

Iqbal argued that trade paperwork ought to move online ahead of shipments arriving at frontier posts, cutting delays and repeated steps. He cited CASA-1000 as an energy link example and called for common project standards and a role for the Asian Development Bank in financing. From 2027, Pakistan will hold the CAREC chairmanship and host the 26th ministerial meeting of the group. The two forums, CAREC's Capital Markets Development Forum and ASEAN's Capital Markets Forum, signed a memorandum aimed at knowledge sharing and regulatory cooperation between the two regions' capital markets.