KARACHI: The business community has demanded the federal government to speed up construction work on major highways between Karachi and Lahore.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) President Mian Muhammad Adrees emphasised the importance of the Karachi-Sukkur section of the motorway so that it is connected with major cities of the country.
“This will not only enhance and facilitate trade and industrial activities from Karachi to Lahore but also speed up transportation of goods from Karachi,” he said.
In a statement, he argued that Karachi is the economic hub with the facility of two ports handling more than 60% of Pakistan’s cargo and the city is also contributing around 70% revenue to the national exchequer. Moreover, Pak-Afghan transit trade activities are mostly initiated from Karachi.
Adrees applauded the vision of the Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and his team to develop communication and transportation network to augment and boost trade activities in cities and rural areas. He drew the attention of the finance minister towards the Finance Bill 2015 in which the government has allowed the export of perishable items from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan in Pakistani currency, which will further increase traffic on motorways.
