ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan on Thursday signed a trilateral agreement involving a key rail project that is aimed at connecting the three countries.
The framework agreement on the joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project was signed in Kabul.
The agreement was signed between Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Works, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport, and Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and their Uzbek counterpart Baxtiyor Saidov witnessed the signing ceremony.
The UAP Railway Project aims to build a rail link to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan and facilitate access to Pakistani seaports for Central Asian States, read a statement issued here by the Foreign office.
“By facilitating regional trade and transit, the project is expected to promote regional stability, growth and development,” it added.
The statement said Dar’s visit underscored the importance Pakistan attached to the successful realization of the UAP Railway Project. The signing of the Framework Agreement on Joint Feasibility Study between the three participating countries in Kabul was an important step towards its implementation.
The proposed 640-km (398 miles) railway line aims to link the Uzbek border town of Termez with Hairatan on the Afghan side, extending to the eastern city of Logar via Kabul, before entering Pakistan’s border district of Kurram via Kharlachi.
Earlier, Dar attended a trilateral meeting in Kabul ahead of the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for Uzbek-Afghan-Pak (UAP) Railway project.
The meeting reaffirmed strong ties and a shared commitment to peace, connectivity, trade, and regional development. The three sides emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation to unlock the region’s economic potential and ensure long-term prosperity for their peoples.
On the sidelines, Dar held a series of meetings with the Afghan Taliban leadership including Interim Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
This was Dar’s second visit to Kabul in three months, highlighting increased exchanges between the two countries.
During the meeting with Afghan interim Prime Minister, Dar exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade and transit cooperation and regional connectivity.
Recalling their earlier meeting on 19 April 2025, they reaffirmed the commitment to continued engagement and agreed to maintain high-level contacts to promote bilateral relations.
The foreign minister also met Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Interior Minister of Afghanistan and held in-depth discussions on security matters and reaffirmed the importance of eradicating the threats to regional countries.
Dar underlined the importance of addressing all issues of concern, in particular security and border management, to harness the full potential of economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
