China eyes investing in PR under BOT model

Secretary General of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), Jiang Yi, called on Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi in Islamabad along with a high-level Chinese delegation representing leading logistics, transport, and aviation companies.

The meeting focused on investment opportunities, technical collaboration, freight operations, and strengthening the logistics network between Pakistan and China.

Minister Abbasi briefed the delegation on ongoing development projects and underlined the potential for foreign and private sector investment in Pakistan Railways. He informed the visitors that an agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Karachi-Rohri section had already been finalised, while cooperation with China was being explored for the Rohri-Peshawar, Nokundi-Gwadar, and ML-2 (Attock-Rohri) segments. He emphasised that the Karachi-to-Peshawar rail corridor is fully operational and provides a vital trade link to Central Asian states, while the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul (ITI) railway project serves as a key initiative to enhance regional connectivity and trade mobility.

The Chinese delegation appreciated Pakistan Railways' reform agenda, modernisation efforts, and private sector engagement model. They expressed strong interest in investing under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) framework in railway and freight corridor projects. Minister Abbasi reaffirmed that Pakistan Railways is fully open to business-to-business partnerships and BOT-based collaborations. He said technological cooperation with China would introduce modern freight management systems, digital logistics operations, and advanced railway engineering practices in Pakistan.