Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan endorsed the Global Green Freight Corridors Initiative during a high-level ministerial roundtable at COP31. The event was co-hosted by Türkiye’s Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, in partnership with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
In a keynote address, Minister Khan stated that while international freight transport is the lifeblood of global commerce, it is also one of the fastest-growing sources of transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. He argued that economic growth and environmental stewardship are mutually reinforcing goals, noting that sustainable logistics is the only viable path forward. The Minister stressed that the global community must shift focus toward turning climate pledges into tangible, cross-border outcomes.
Minister Khan detailed Pakistan’s geographic position as a regional trade bridge connecting China, Central Asia, and the Middle East. He highlighted the nation’s infrastructure, which includes over 500,000 kilometers of roads, a 7,800-kilometer railway system, major deep-sea ports, and trade arteries under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
To address the fact that 96% of domestic freight is moved by road, which strains resources and impacts air quality, Pakistan is pursuing a multi-pillar transition strategy. This includes the Railway Plan 2026, which aims to increase rail’s freight share to 20% through the modernized Main Line-1 (ML-1) project. Additionally, the National Electric Vehicle Policy 2025–30 will establish 3,000 EV charging stations along major corridors, supported by maritime reforms at national seaports.
The Minister revealed a 200% surge in TIR transit volumes under the UN TIR Convention, citing Pakistan as one of the fastest-rising countries in regional trade facilitation. Pakistan is moving toward paperless, low-emission logistics by integrating digital pre-shipment notices with the Pakistan Single Window system and advancing the eTIR project with UNECE.
To fund these upgrades, Pakistan is using a diversified framework including Public Sector Development Programme allocations, multilateral support from the Asian Development Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and private investments via the Public-Private Partnership Authority Act for projects like the M-6 Motorway and ML-1 railway. Minister Khan formally endorsed the initiative’s four pillars—clean technology, digital connectivity, smart route planning, and climate finance—and offered Pakistan's full support to international partners for pilot green corridors.
