Staff Report
RAWALPINDI: The National Logistics Cell (NLC) has successfully concluded it first commercial round trip to Turkey and Azerbaijan under Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) paving the way for unlimited business opportunities in the regional markets.
The NLC achieved this significant milestone with all-out support from transport ministries, customs, transit trade departments and other stakeholders of Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan.
Loaded with textile products, tyres and other export goods, four vehicles crossed Taftan for its onward journey to Turkey and Azerbaijan. Two vehicles reached Istanbul in ten days covering a distance of 4890 kilometers while the other two vehicles reached Baku in eight days by covering a distance of 3680 kilometers.
The vehicles successfully completed round trip carrying import goods including glass wool raw material and electronics etc to Lahore and Islamabad. The trucks returned to Pakistan within stipulated time of two weeks from Azeri capital Baku and Turkish city of Istanbul.
Business community from various fields related to logistics including importers / exporters, ECO Secretariat, Secretary General International Road Union (IRU) and senior government officials of Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan welcomed TIR operations by NLC and termed it a significant step towards revival of long-awaited Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) corridor.
NLC is planning to shortly undertake further regional trade operations to Turkey under TIR. Plans are also afoot to extend road operations under TIR to China and other Central Asian Republics in near future.
