The
first Pakistan TIR transport leaves Karachi today, bound for Kabul via Peshawar
and Jalalabad.

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SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES�- EQS�- 13 October 2018 - IRU
member, PNC-ICC, issued the first TIR carnet this week to Pakistani transport
operator, TCS Logistics, ahead of the departure today, which is marked by a
ceremony in Karachi.

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Today's launch follows recent meetings in Istanbul
between Afghanistan and Pakistan -- where TIR was highlighted as the customs
standard to facilitate transport and transit between the two countries and the
two TIR actors agreed to initiate test operations from Karachi to Kabul and
vice versa.

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Savings in time and costs were already reported by an
Afghan transport operator last week, which sent three trucks from Torkham, Afghan-Pakistan
border crossing point, to Dushanbe, Tajikistan using TIR.�TIR was also
particularly useful in avoiding large trans-shipment costs at the border with
Tajikistan.

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IRU
Secretary General, Umberto de Pretto, said,�

"With
The TIR system now live in Pakistan, we will see the potential unleashed for
Pakistan to become a pivotal transit country linking China to the Middle East
and Africa."

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Mr. Muhammad Javed Ghani, Director General Transit
Trade from Pakistan Customs added,

"The TIR system offers a solution for harmonised
processes at borders across the region and we should now see cross border
transport and transit become much more streamlined and secured."

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Tariq M. Rangoonwala, Chair of PNC-ICC, added,

"We are delighted to see the first TIR trucks leaving
Karachi today. This is the next milestone in our strategy to streamline
transport and trade in the region, which will benefit the economies and the
communities along these corridors in Pakistan and beyond."

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There is now
full momentum to use TIR in more transit routes from neighbouring countries
including Pakistan and Iran to Central Asia to reduce the cost and time of
regional transports even further. The activation of these corridors, which
straddle East and West, is critical to the development of the region and the
advancement of trade.

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Next
steps include the activation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)
under the TIR system, which will connect China with the Middle East and Africa.

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In
addition, the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad trade corridor, which has the potential
to link Pakistan to the markets of Iran, Central Asia, Turkey and eventually Europe
will be activated under TIR system and saw the first inbound TIR operation from
Iran to Pakistan earlier this year.

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Notes

About TIR
The only
global customs transit system for moving goods across international borders,
TIR "Transports
Internationaux Routiers" has been supporting trade and development for more than 60
years, by allowing customs-sealed vehicles and freight containers to transit
countries with minimal border checks. It is governed by the United
Nations TIR Convention and managed by the world road transport organisation,
IRU. Pakistan's national issuing and guaranteeing
association is the Pakistan National Committee of the
International Chamber of Commerce (PNC-ICC).

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About IRU
IRU is the�world road transport organisation,
promoting economic growth, prosperity and safety through the sustainable
mobility of people and goods. Founded in 1948, IRU has members and activities
in more than 100 countries.

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About
PNC-ICC
Founded
in 1955, the Pakistan National Committee of the International Chamber of
Commerce is a multilateral rule-making body for promoting trade and investment.
It is the designated National Guaranteeing and Issuing Organisation for TIR in
Pakistan and has established a purpose-built TIR Center in Karachi for the
administration of the system.

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