Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) President Zafar Bakhtawari said China is a sincere friend of Pakistan and is playing an important role in its progress and stressed that a direct air link between Kashgar and Islamabad should be set up while attending a seminar in Kashgar (China). Government officials and trade representatives from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan and Russia were also present on the occasion.
Referring to the importance of Kashgar, Bakhtawari said that development of Kashgar city was not only a positive sign for China but also for Pakistan as Kashgar Special Economic Zone provided good opportunities for Pakistani business community to do business with their Chinese counterparts.
He suggested that a direct air link between Kashgar and Islamabad should be set up as it was only a 50 miles distance while air travel from Islamabad to Urunchi took 24 hours, adding that a direct air link between Kashgar and Islamabad would ultimately improve bilateral relations between China and Pakistan.
President of ICCI said establishment of new Guangzhou city on Karakorum Highway, which is only 15 km away from Kashgar is not only in the best interest of Pakistan but also for the whole of Central Asia.
He said a rail link between Kashgar and Islamabad should also be established along with up-gradation of the road link between the two cities. Kashgar authority also informed the business leaders of Pakistan that direct flights from Kashgar to Islamabad would be started from April, 2013.
