The Azakhel dry port could not be activated 14 months after its inauguration
Karachi: Despite the inauguration by the Prime Minister in January 2020, the Azakhel dry port could not become operational after a lapse of one year and two months.
The Prime Minister had announced other facilities for the trade sector including one window operation on the occasion of inauguration of Azakhel Railway Dry Port. He also promised to run a cargo train for safe and fast delivery of export consignments from Peshawar to Karachi. The dry port could not be activated after one year and two months.
In this regard, the President of Frontier Customs Agents Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi told the Express that the export cargo train from Railway Peshawar Cantt Dry Port has been closed for the last 15 years. In addition to handicrafts, carpets, honey, there is also the largest industry of matches, the safe delivery of which can be done through cargo train railways if not only the export volume of most items can increase but also more than 250 unemployed customs clearing agents Business activities of the province can also be resumed. In addition, traders of the province can also order their import consignments from Karachi port for cargo train to Azakhel dry port.
Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi said that with the operationalization of Azakhel Railway Dry Port, the revenue of Pakistan Railways in terms of freight could increase by crores of rupees. Due to lack of facilities in the dry port operated at the Peshawar Cantt Railway Mall warehouse on a temporary basis in 1986, the business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had demanded the establishment of a dry port equipped with modern facilities in Azakhel, to which the Prime Minister last year What was inaugurated is not yet operational. There is a need for the federal and provincial governments to take immediate steps to make the Azakhel Dari Port operational so that the province becomes a golden gateway as in the past and the Torkham border can be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ۔
