Shafaqna Pakistan: Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Envoy to Afghanistan, said on Tuesday that he held discussions on expanding a regional transit framework that would bypass Afghanistan by including Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the Quadrilateral Transit Trade Agreement (QTTA), with the aim of strengthening regional connectivity and trade.
He noted that Pakistan has been working to develop alternative logistics routes linking Central Asia to its ports via China and northern Pakistan, as strained relations with Afghanistan and periodic border disruptions continue to impact traditional transit routes.
Sadiq also chaired a meeting of the Afghanistan-Central Asia Intergovernmental Coordination Cell (ACICC), where regional coordination issues were reviewed.
“Key focus areas: Inclusion of Tajikistan & Uzbekistan in the Quadrilateral Transit Trade Agreement (QTTA) between Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan,” he wrote in a post on X.
The QTTA involves Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and is designed to facilitate cross-border movement of goods through routes linking Central Asia to Pakistan via China.
Sadiq added that participants in the meeting also discussed enhancing air connectivity between Pakistan and Tajikistan, as well as easing visa procedures for Tajik businesspeople.
Last month, a shipment routed via China reached Karachi from Kyrgyzstan through the Khunjerab Pass and Sost Dry Port, offering Central Asian states another trade corridor option.
Pakistan has offered landlocked Central Asian states access to its Arabian Sea ports, positioning itself as a strategic transit hub amid shifting regional supply chains.
It has also modernized its port facilities to handle increased cargo flows from regional transit routes.
Source: Dunya News
