ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Federal Minister for Commerce Engineer Khurram Dastagir Khan has said that Pakistan intends to initiate talks with South Africa related to Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) for increase in existing trade volume between two countries.
While chairing a meeting with business delegation from South Africa in Islamabad on Wednesday, the minister said that Pakistan is deeply interested into laying modern Rail Tracks and refurbishing existing routes for direct and transit trade with Afghanistan and Iran.
The minister said that the government considers Rail-Tracks as Trade Corridors because it will play vital role in boosting Pakistani exports and facilitating transit trades.
The commerce minister said that the government is deeply interested in an integrated locomotive services for boosting trade with neighboring countries like Afghanistan and Iran.
“We will also establish a modern Rail-link from Gwadar Port to up country and further to Afghanistan for the transit trade,” the minister said.
“Refurbishing of existing Rail infrastructure for trade with Iran is also under consideration as trade ties with Iran is getting stronger,” he added.
Dastagir was of the view that the government is utilizing substantial resources in meeting power generation demands of the exporting industrial sector. For the purpose, he added, construction work on power plants including super critical technology Sahiwal Coal-fired Power Plant is underway on a fast pace.
“We shall ensure smooth supply of imported raw input for Sahiwal plant through Rail-route,” he said.
The South African delegation offered their support in provision of funding, rail-infrastructure development and services, technology transfer, training of human resource and 360 degree logistics support in supplying imported input for different projects.
