Cambridge IGCSE Pakistan Studies: Trade, Transport and Telecommunications — Revision Notes

These notes condense Sections 6 (Trade) and 7 (Transport and telecommunications) of Cambridge IGCSE Pakistan Studies 0448 Paper 2. Learn the main exports and imports, the meaning of GNP, GDP and the balance of trade, what helps and hinders trade, how transport networks vary, the named border routes, ports and dry ports, and the role of telecommunications in development.

Syllabus coverage

0448 Paper 2 (2026 syllabus)

• 6(a) Main exports and imports and recent changes; GNP and GDP; effect of trends on the balance of trade
• 6(b) Trading partners and goods; factors promoting or hindering trade; trading blocs, trade barriers, exchange rates
• 7(a) Internal road, rail and air networks: patterns, factors, improvements, comparison, evaluation of new schemes
• 7(b) Cross-border roads (with passes) and railways; Keamari, Qasim, Gwadar; international airports; dry ports
• 7(c) Telecommunications: importance, problems of provision, role in development

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Export	Good or service sold to another country
Import	Good or service bought from another country
Balance of trade	Value of exports minus value of imports
Trade deficit	Imports worth more than exports
GDP	Value of output produced within Pakistan in a year
GNP	GDP plus net income from abroad, such as remittances
Trading bloc	Group of countries that reduce trade barriers between members
Tariff	Tax on imported goods
Quota	Limit on the quantity of an import
Exchange rate	Value of the rupee against another currency
Dry port	Inland customs and container terminal linked to a seaport
Pass	Low route through a mountain range used by a road

Trade facts

• Exports: textiles (yarn, cloth, garments, bed linen, towels), rice, leather, sports goods, surgical instruments, fruit, fish.
• Imports: oil and petroleum products, machinery, chemicals and fertiliser, palm oil, iron and steel, tea, vehicles.
• Trend: from raw cotton towards processed textiles; import bill driven by oil prices.
• Partners: USA (textile market), China (machinery, CPEC), UAE and Saudi Arabia (oil), UK and EU (textiles, rice, leather), Afghanistan (land trade).
• Blocs and schemes: SAARC, ECO, EU GSP+.

Why trade is difficult for a developing country

1. Narrow export base dominated by textiles.
2. Competition from other low-wage producers.
3. Tariffs, quotas and strict quality standards abroad.
4. Energy shortages raise costs.
5. Exchange-rate swings: a weak rupee makes imported fuel and machinery dearer.

Transport facts

• Densest networks: Indus Plain (flat, populous, farming and industry).
• Sparsest: Balochistan, mountain north, deserts (relief, hazards, sparse demand).
• Hindering factors: steep slopes, landslides, snow, floods, shifting sand, cost, low demand.
• Improvements: motorways (M-2 Lahore–Islamabad); Karakoram Highway; new Islamabad airport; railway upgrading under CPEC.

Border route	Neighbour	Pass or crossing
Karakoram Highway	China	Khunjerab Pass
Peshawar–Kabul road	Afghanistan	Khyber Pass (Torkham)
Quetta–Kandahar road	Afghanistan	Chaman, via the Khojak Pass
Quetta–Zahedan road and railway	Iran	Taftan
Lahore–Amritsar road	India	Wagah

Seaports: Keamari (Karachi Port), Port Qasim, Gwadar. Dry ports: e.g. Lahore, Faisalabad; reduce congestion at Karachi and speed customs clearance.

Telecommunications

• Uses: distance learning; e-commerce and online banking; market prices for farmers; call centres and IT services; faster business contact.
• Problems: mountains and deserts make masts and cables costly; low population density; power cuts; poverty and low literacy limit use.

Road, rail and air compared

Mode	Best for	Weakness in Pakistan
Road	Short and medium journeys, villages, perishable farm produce	Congestion, accidents, overloaded trucks damage surfaces
Rail	Bulky goods (coal, cotton, cement, containers) over long distances	Old track and engines, slow and unreliable services
Air	Passengers over long distances; remote northern towns such as Gilgit and Skardu	Costly; flights cancelled in bad mountain weather

Worked example

Question: Explain why dry ports have been developed in many cities of Pakistan. [4]

Model answer: A dry port lets exporters in inland cities such as Lahore clear goods through customs close to their factories [1]. Goods are sealed in containers and sent by rail or road to the seaport without further checks, saving time [1]. This reduces congestion and delays at Karachi’s ports [1] and lowers costs for industries far from the coast, encouraging exports [1].

Common mistakes and exam traps

• Confusing GNP and GDP. Remittances count in GNP, not GDP.
• Calling a deficit “losing money”. Explain that imports exceed exports in value.
• Naming a road without its pass. The syllabus asks for the pass where relevant.
• Generic transport comparisons. Refer to Pakistan: rail for bulky cotton or coal, air for remote Gilgit or Skardu, road for village produce.
• Ignoring evaluation. For motorways, weigh faster travel against cost, tolls and land loss.

How is this section examined?

This content is examined on Cambridge Paper 2, The environment of Pakistan (1 hour 30 minutes, 75 marks, 50% of the qualification). You answer three questions from a choice of five; each is worth 25 marks and has four parts, (a) to (d), built around resources such as maps, graphs, tables and photographs. Part (d) specifically tests analysis and evaluation, so finish every revision topic by practising a judgement: for example, how sustainable a resource or a policy is, with evidence for and against.

Frequently asked questions

Which three seaports must I locate? Keamari (Karachi Port), Port Qasim (east of Karachi) and Gwadar on the Balochistan coast.

Does a weak rupee help or harm trade? Both: exports become cheaper for foreign buyers, but imported oil and machinery cost more, which raises production costs.

Related pages

• Trade, Transport and Telecommunications study guide
• Trade, Transport and Telecommunications practice questions
• Industrial Development revision notes

Source: Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Pakistan Studies 0448 syllabus for examination in 2026, Paper 2 Sections 6 and 7.