Karachi
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) & All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA), Chairman National Business Group Pakistan (NBG), Chairman FPCCI Policy Advisory Board and Former Provincial Minister of Information Technology, Mian Zahid Hussain has said that Pakistan should no longer ignore Inland Water Transport while its freight system remains overwhelmingly dependent on expensive road transportation.
He said that Inland Water Transport is not merely a theoretical concept but a practical economic necessity that can reduce logistics costs, conserve fuel, protect country’s road infrastructure and improve the competitiveness of Pakistani exports.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that 206 billion tonnes of cargo was moved through the road network in 2023, accounting for more than 90 percent of the country’s freight traffic. He pointed out that the National Highway Authority’s network constitutes a small portion of Pakistan’s total road network but carries around 80 percent of commercial traffic.
This excessive concentration is increasing congestion, fuel consumption, road deterioration and the overall cost of doing business. He added that FPCCI has rightly brought this important matter to national attention.
The development of inland waterways, particularly a strategic Attock-to-Karachi water route, can provide Pakistan with a low-cost and sustainable freight corridor. He said that reducing dependence on roads is essential for improving logistics efficiency and restoring the competitiveness of trade and industry.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that the government has already recognised the importance of Inland Waterways Transport through the National Transport Policy 2018 and the National Freight and Logistics Policy 2020, but implementation has remained painfully slow.
These policies proposed an Inland Waterways Transport Master Plan, development of navigable routes and phased utilisation of the Indus River system. He said that the country does not need another round of studies and seminars, as the required policy direction is already available and now needs practical execution.
He said that under the proposed plan, Phase One envisaged the establishment of an integrated Inland Water Transport terminal at Daud Khel, Mianwali, to connect road and river freight. Phase Two proposed extending the route from Mianwali to Taunsa, while Phase Three envisaged its further extension from Taunsa to Sukkur.
The approximately 220-kilometre Attock-to-Daud Khel section has already been tested and found feasible, while the Mianwali-to-Taunsa extension can establish an inland waterway of around 550 kilometres.
