https://arab.news/mt3zf
- Islamabad seeks to operationalize existing transit frameworks, including QTTA
- Talks with Tajik envoy focus on logistics hubs, multimodal links and energy trade
KARACHI: Pakistan said on Tuesday it was exploring multiple corridor options with neighboring states to strengthen regional trade and reduce reliance on single transit routes, following talks with Tajikistan aimed at boosting connectivity with Central Asia.
The push comes as Islamabad looks to operationalize existing transit arrangements and develop alternative logistics pathways linking Central Asia to its ports, as strained ties with Afghanistan and periodic border disruptions continue to affect traditional transit routes, amid shifting regional trade dynamics.
Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan made the remarks during a meeting with Tajikistan’s Ambassador Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir in Islamabad, where both sides discussed measures to enhance bilateral trade, expand transit cooperation and deepen institutional linkages.
“He stressed that reliance on a single route was not viable and reiterated the need to keep multiple corridors operational to ensure continuity and resilience of trade,” the commerce ministry said in a statement, referring to Khan. “He observed that cost and efficiency considerations must guide the selection of transit routes.”
Khan said Pakistan was committed to facilitating regional trade through improved logistics, diversified transit routes and closer coordination with partner countries.
He added that progress on internal procedures under transit frameworks, including the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA), was key to making existing mechanisms fully functional.
The QTTA involves Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and is designed to enable cross-border movement of goods while bypassing Afghanistan.
He also highlighted the need to develop an integrated commercial corridor, including logistics hubs, offloading facilities and multimodal transport systems to create a more efficient supply chain linking Pakistan with Central Asia, with cooperation with China remaining central to these efforts.
The remarks follow Pakistan’s recent operationalization of a China-linked corridor that enabled the first shipment from Kyrgyzstan to reach Karachi via the Khunjerab Pass and Sost dry port earlier this month, offering Central Asian states an alternative route that bypasses Afghanistan.
Ambassador Toir welcomed Pakistan’s efforts to enhance connectivity and stressed the importance of reliable and cost-effective transit routes, pointing to Tajikistan’s interest in exporting surplus energy and expanding cooperation in aluminum trade and industrial supply chains.
Both sides agreed to use existing platforms such as the Joint Economic Commission to advance cooperation and discussed organizing business-to-business engagements to strengthen private sector links.
Pakistan has long sought to position itself as a regional transit hub connecting landlocked Central Asian states to global markets through its ports, but progress has been uneven due to infrastructure gaps, security concerns and limited use of existing agreements.