Pakistan PM proposes Karachi port for transit trade to Tajikistan during Dushanbe visit
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met his Tajikistan counterpart Kohir Rasulzoda in Dushanbe on Wednesday and underlined Pakistan’s policy of cooperation with Central Asian countries and offered to use Pakistan’s Karachi port for transit trade.
Sharif arrived in Tajikistan on a two-day official visit a day before his planned attendance at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan. The visit comes at a time when Pakistan is actively working to strengthen its role as a vital trade and transport hub, providing landlocked Central Asian countries with access to the Arabian Sea, thereby connecting them to the rest of the world.
Upon arriving in Dushanbe, the prime minister met Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon and highlighted the “unlimited potential” of foreign investment in key sectors of Pakistan’s economy.
During his meeting with the Tajik prime minister on Wednesday, Sharif hailed the strategic partnership agreement signed between the two countries the previous day as a “historic moment” and said he looked forward to further strengthening bilateral ties.
“The prime minister stressed that Pakistan will continue to pursue enhanced engagement with Central Asian countries, including Tajikistan, in line with its ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy,” a statement issued by the prime minister’s office after the meeting said.
He stressed strengthening regional connectivity and integration, saying these are key elements of the region’s sustainable long-term socio-economic development.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif requested his Tajikistan counterpart to use Karachi port for transit trade,” the statement added.
He said the construction of railways and roads between the two countries could further boost regional cooperation.
The prime minister also hinted at the possibility of Pakistan providing a trade corridor to Central Asian countries and hosting a regional summit to boost commerce.
Sharif welcomed the initiative taken by a Dushanbe-based commercial airline to launch direct flights between Pakistan and Tajikistan last month and stressed the importance of increasing the frequency of such flights.
Connection with Congress
Earlier, he highlighted the ongoing exchanges between Tajik parliamentarians and their counterparts in his country and met with the Speaker of the Tajik Chamber of Deputies in Dushanbe, highlighting their role in connecting the peoples of the two countries.
“Speaker of Majlisi Namoyandagon (lower house) of the Majlisi Oli (Tajik parliament) of the Republic of Tajikistan Zokirzoda Mahmadtowar Zoir today called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Dushanbe,” an official statement said.
They expressed satisfaction with the inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and agreed to strengthen the already established Parliamentary Friendship Group to further deepen bilateral ties.
“The Prime Minister emphasised the important role that Parliamentarians play in bringing the people of the two countries closer and stressed the need for continued exchanges and engagement between the two countries,” the statement added.
Sharif also congratulated Tajikistan’s top government officials on the 30th anniversary of the country’s constitution.
The prime minister will conclude a two-day visit to Tajikistan before departing for Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana, to attend the SCO summit.
