ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan, while addressing the Silk Way Transport Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, highlighted Pakistan’s pivotal geo-strategic position in connecting South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asian states through overland routes.

“Landlocked states may become land-linked economies. The Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul road link is of critical importance for Pakistan as well as the entire region,” Mr Khan told the forum.

The minister, who is in Almaty to participate in the Silk Way Transport Forum, highlighted that the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, is aligned with Pakistan’s vision of achieving self-reliance and sustainable economic growth by 2030.

He added that CPEC is integrated with other regional corridors including the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) initiatives, while Pakistan’s membership in Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) and the Quadrilateral Transit Agreement marks a milestone for regional connectivity.

He stressed that trade corridors can transform landlocked states into land-linked economies, while digital transformation is enhancing transparency in the communications sector.

He underlined the strategic significance of Eurasia as the world’s largest landmass and reaffirmed Pakistan’s readiness to play its role in South Asia, the Middle East and Central Asia. He remarked that turning international transport corridors into pathways of peace and prosperity is a shared responsibility, but customs regulations and visa restrictions remain impediments to regional integration.

The forum was attended by transport ministers from 12 countries, including Türkiye, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Belarus, Russia, Latvia and Kazakhstan.

On the sidelines, a high-level bilateral meeting was held between Federal Minister Abdul Aleem Khan and Kazakhstan’s Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev, accompanied by their respective delegations.

Discussions focused on the initiation of direct flights, easing travel procedures and issuance of multiple-entry visas, especially for the business community.

Mr Khan invited his Kazakh counterpart to attend the upcoming Regional Transport Conference in Pakistan scheduled for October 23–24, with participation from multiple countries.

He informed the meeting that the Karakoram Highway and Khunjerab Border remain operational on an annual basis from November, while flood-damaged international highways have now been fully restored.

He reiterated that CPEC is not only vital for Pakistan but also serves as the backbone of development for the entire region, expressing confidence that Kazakhstan can derive maximum benefits from CPEC and Pakistan’s seaports.

He further noted that both Pakistan and Kazakhstan are members of the Quadrilateral Transit Agreement, while the proposed Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (KTAP) corridor is a welcome initiative.

During the meeting, Minister Sauranbayev agreed on the establishment of a joint logistics company between the National Logistics Cell (NLC) and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) Express.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2025