Major General Farrukh Shahzad Rao, the Director General of the National Logistics Cell (NLC), has declared NLC’s commitment to expanding trade ties with Central Asia, Russia, China, and Tashkent, emphasizing the burgeoning demand for Pakistani goods in these regions. This vision was shared during his address to industrialists at the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (KATI).
In attendance were KATI President Faraz-ur-Rehman, Deputy Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya, Senior Vice President Nighat Awan, Vice President Muslim Mohammadi, Standing Committee Chairman Fawad Sheikh, Former President Sheikh Fazal-e-Jalil, Rashid Ahmed Siddiqui, Syed Farukh Mazher and other senior officials and members.
Major General Farrukh Shahzad Rao underscored the NLC’s status as Pakistan’s largest logistics organization and highlighted its pivotal role in constructing vital communication and road infrastructure. He stressed NLC’s determination to facilitate businesses in delivering their products to markets in China, Russia, and, notably, Tashkent. The NLC is keen to extend its support to KATI manufacturers in this endeavor. Major General Farrukh Shahzad Rao appointed KATI Vice President Muslim Mohammadi as the focal point for liaising between the NLC and industrialists.
Furthermore, Major General Farrukh Shahzad Rao revealed that currently, only seven companies operate on international routes in Pakistan. Despite this limited number, they manage to transport goods from Sialkot to Kazakhstan within a mere 16 days, a journey that used to span over two months.
KATI President Faraz-ur-Rehman welcomed the NLC’s focus on trade promotion, highlighting the historical difficulties faced by Pakistani products in accessing Central Asian markets due to a lack of banking channels. He stressed that this gap hindered trade between Russia and Tashkent and led to smuggling of Pakistani products abroad. He expressed optimism that NLC’s efforts to enable Pakistani products to reach Central Asia, Russia, China, and Tashkent within 14 days would not only boost exports but also significantly increase foreign exchange reserves. He urged the government to promptly establish banking channels with Russia and other Central Asian countries, facilitating the repatriation of exporters’ earnings. Faraz-ur-Rehman also acknowledged NLC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, highlighting the potential for development in the Korangi Industrial Area through these funds.
Deputy Patron-in-Chief Zubair Chhaya commended NLC’s advanced technology, logistics, and engineering capabilities, noting the positive impact on the Pakistani economy since NLC’s involvement in logistics previously dominated by unscrupulous elements. He expressed enthusiasm for future collaboration and urged KATI members to support NLC’s transition from a national company to an international organization.
Chairman of the Standing Committee, Fawad Sheikh, emphasized the importance of logistics for a country’s development and encouraged NLC to extend its services to small and medium-sized industries. He believed that such an expansion would greatly benefit trade, especially for smaller industrialists.
Photo Caption: KATI President Faraz-ur-Rehman presents a shield to NLC Director General Major General Farrukh Shehzad Rao, with the presence of Zubair Chhaya, Nighat Awan, Muslim Mohammadi, Fawad Sheikh, Maheen Salman, Tariq Hussain, Imran Tessori and other distinguished attendees.