SAARC States fast growing economies: Shamim
By Adnan Rafique

ISLAMABAD—Minister of Communications, Muhammad Shamim Siddiqui said on Tuesday in recent years, the SAARC member states had become fast developing economies of Asia with high growth which had started culminating into strengthening and deepening of relations in South Asia.The Minister said that landlocked countries needed to be provided with easy and economically feasible access to ports through development of transit facilities and services.
Inaugurating the three-day meeting of SAARC’s inter- governmental group on transport, in a local hotel here on Tuesday.
The Minister said that priorities needed to be assigned to infrastructure development particularly to improve and strengthen the road and rail systems and facilities including update of existing legal regime covering all transport, modes and services. Consideration needs to be given to improve air and sea links among SAARC member states. He said it was imperative to establish a transport supply chain network and proper security system through development of cross border terminal facilities along with installation of scanning equipment for speedy clearance of the shipment.
Shamim Siddiqui said Pakistan was focusing on augmenting its transport, capacities by developing land and land-cum-sea transport linkages with all neighboring particularly land-locked countries in the region. This would surely promote inter-regional cooperation, trade and tourism in years to come.
He said the Government of Pakistan was currently establishing North- South National Trade Corridor and Energy Corridor linking countries of the region with Gwadar Seaport through developed and improved highways. The meeting is being attended by delegates from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives and is aimed at devising strategies to develop a viable and interconnected communication network among the member states. He said Pakistan was focusing on augmenting its transport, capacities by developing the land and land-cum-sea transport linkages with all neighboring particularly landlocked countries in the region. This would surely promote inter-regional cooperation, trade and tourism in years to come.
He said the Government of Pakistan was currently establishing North-South National Trade Corridor and Energy Corridor linking countries of the region with Gwadar deep sea port through developed and improved highways.
The meeting is being attended by delegates from India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives and is aimed at devising strategies to develop a viable and interconnected communications network among the member states.