Islamabad: Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi met with Jiang Yi, Secretary General of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), along with senior representatives from China’s logistics, transport, and aviation sectors to explore avenues of cooperation and investment in Pakistan Railways.
The meeting focused on enhancing technical collaboration, improving freight operations, and identifying infrastructure investment opportunities. Both sides agreed to strengthen cross-border logistics to support regional trade and economic integration.
Minister Abbasi highlighted Pakistan Railways’ development plans and invited foreign and private investment in key infrastructure projects. He informed the delegation that a financing agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) had been finalized for the Karachi–Rohri section, while partnerships with Chinese firms are being considered for other strategic segments, including Rohri–Peshawar, Nokundi–Gwadar, and the ML-2 corridor connecting Attock to Rohri.
He emphasized the significance of the Karachi–Peshawar corridor, which serves as a vital link for trade routes to Central Asia, and underscored the potential of the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul (ITI) railway corridor to enhance regional connectivity.
The Chinese delegation appreciated Pakistan’s railway reform agenda and expressed strong interest in working under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model — particularly in freight and infrastructure modernization.
Minister Abbasi reaffirmed that Pakistan Railways is open to BOT-based partnerships, noting that collaboration with Chinese firms would help introduce advanced freight handling technologies, digital logistics systems, and modern engineering standards across Pakistan’s rail network.
The discussions concluded with a mutual commitment to deepen cooperation for sustainable infrastructure development and regional economic growth.
