Pakistan expands regional trade via CAREC corridors and maritime cooperation

Pakistan is seeking to transform the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) transport corridors into integrated economic arteries. At the 25th CAREC Ministerial Conference in Mongolia, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal proposed upgrading CAREC Corridors 5 and 6 to link Central Asia directly to Pakistan’s Arabian Sea ports. The vision includes modernizing border facilities at Torkham and Chaman, improving rail freight via the ML-1 upgrade, and establishing logistics hubs featuring cold storage and light manufacturing to capture value from transit trade.

Parallel to land-based infrastructure, maritime cooperation is expanding under the CPEC 2.0 framework. During the China-South Asian Countries Marine Cooperation Forum in Qingdao, participants adopted an initiative focused on the blue economy, marine science, and sustainable development. This cooperation aims to strengthen links between China and South Asian nations, including Pakistan, through ocean observation, disaster prevention, and ecological protection. For Pakistan, this involves leveraging its 1,000-kilometer coastline and the strategic position of Gwadar to integrate maritime resources with regional technological and research capacity.