Goods train: Railways ministry directed to implement project

Several other transport ventures discussed in meeting.

ISLAMABAD: Federal Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh has asked the Ministry of Railways to come up with a concrete marketing plan, in consultation with trade bodies, in order to give a kick-start to the Pak- Turkey goods train project.

He stated this while chairing a meeting on Saturday on operationalisation of the goods train project and reviewed the progress as well as issues related to it.

Existing transport agreements of Pakistan with Iran and Turkey under the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) and bilateral arrangements were also

discussed in the meeting, said the finance ministry.

The minister also discussed the feasibility study, if any, to identify the financial and technical viability of the project.

The meeting also discussed the transit transport framework agreement developed by ECO with assistance from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) signed by all ECO member countries except for Uzbekistan in 1998, bilateral agreement on road transportation of goods and passengers between Pakistan and Iran, agreement on international transportation of passengers and goods by road by Pakistan and Iran and road transport agreement signed by Pakistan and Turkey on June 15, 2003.



Published in The Express Tribune, April 03^rd, 2011.