Overview
- Pakistan presented a multi‑pronged agenda at the 25th CAREC Ministerial Conference calling for integrated economic corridors that combine upgraded roads and rail, logistics and production hubs, energy links, and climate‑resilient design to convert transit into trade.
- The government proposed a CAREC Digital Corridor that would use AI to harmonise customs rules and pre‑clear cargo so documents are checked before consignments reach borders and delays are reduced.
- On September 30, Pakistan and ADB President Masato Kanda agreed the ADB would consider financing support for the long‑delayed Main Line‑1 (ML‑1) railway modernisation and undertake studies on an export accelerator and floodwater storage.
- Islamabad asked the ADB to create an AI‑enabled climate adaptation financing window and a competitive regional facility and proposed a CAREC Critical Minerals investment platform to add value to minerals and link Central Asia to Pakistan’s ports.
- Pakistan proposed turning the CAREC Institute into a regional knowledge hub and backed a CMDF‑ACMF memorandum to link CAREC and ASEAN capital markets as part of preparations for Pakistan’s 2027 CAREC chairmanship and ministerial host role.