NLC hit badly by blockade of Nato supplies
As Nato supply was blocked by the PTI and JI, it has not only troubled the US-led forces in Afghanistan but also left an adverse impact on the business of Pakistan Army-run NLC that is the leading agency involved in transportation of US/Nato/Isaf goods from Karachi Port to Afghanistan.
While toilet-related stuff tops in Nato consignments in terms of non-military shipments, transportation done through the NLC forms 64 percent of the total goods transited through Pakistan, official data from January 2011 to October 2013 available with The News reveals.
Other transporters who won contract for the Nato supply also have to secure approval from NLC that has assumed monopolistic role in the entire business. As the NLC does not have the capacity to deal with the load of work, it has largely outsourced the business to private goods forwarding agencies, a fact that was already established by a report on Isaf containers prepared in January 2011 by Dr Shoaib Suddle, the then Federal Tax Ombudsman.
The rate per 40-feet container ranges between Rs33,000 to Rs38,000, this report said. As many as 6,735 consignments of Isaf/Nato were transported to Afghanistan. How many containers were used for each consignment shipment could not be ascertained by The News.
Not only the Nato supply, NLC is the lead agency for the transportation of commercial/non-commercial cargo of Afghan Transit Trade, US military and Isaf. Out of 6,735 consignments of Isaf and Nato combined, the NLC transported 57 percent of them in the last three years followed by another transportation company, Clearance for Chartered Plan Carriers (17 percent), and Freight Solutions ranked third with contract of five percent goods transited through Pakistan during this period.
De-icing material carries the highest import value that Isaf and Nato shifted to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Toilet-related stuff was the second highest import for Isaf/Nato troops during this period. When supply was blocked after attack on Salala post claiming lives of Pakistani soldiers, it resulted in severe shortage of diapers.
Compared to combined supply of Isaf and Nato, NLC has more shares in transportation of Nato goods as 64 percent of the shipment is done through this agency. Another goods forwarding agency, M/s Security Transport, received contract of 32 percent consignments followed by M/s Razziq International with 23 percent shipment.
NLC uses private transport for Isaf/Nato transit cargo and only 30 percent owned and 70 percent privately hired vehicles for commercial category of transit cargo, the report had disclosed, according to Suddle report of
2011 on Isaf containers scam. In case of privately hired vehicles, NLC simply gets documents signed from the transporter without ensuring safety and security of the cargo, the report said. The US/Isaf/Nato cargo for transit to Afghanistan is allowed transportation, the report explained, through private sector on the recommendation of Foreign Office subject to NOC by NLC.
The Economic Coordination Committee in 2002 assigned the role of central coordination agency for arranging logistics for transportation of cargo pertaining to the humanitarian and rehabilitation program in Afghanistan to NLC, according to Suddle report. As NLC did not have the requisite number of trucks, it started authorizing private sector transporters to do the job instead.
NLC hit badly by blockade of Nato supplies - thenews.com.pk
so that is why certain military apologists are crying
p.s. by the way what happened to the corruption scam in NLC?