Pakistan seeks connectivity with Tajikistan via rail, road routes

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his desire to connect Pakistan with Tajikistan through links of rail and road networks.

The premier arrived in Dushanbe on Tuesday on a two-day official visit. President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon hosted him as he arrived at the Qasr-e-Millat — Tajikistan's presidential palace.

In a major development to boost relations between Pakistan and Tajikistan, PM Shehbaz announced that the two countries exempted official passports from visa requirements.

The bilateral ties between Islamabad and Dushanbe would strengthen as several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) were signed between the two countries, PM Shehbaz said while addressing a press conference in the capital city of Tajikistan.

He also vowed to work to promote trade, agriculture, health, education, and investment between the two nations.

The visiting premier also expressed his desire to connect Pakistan and Tajikistan through rail and road networks and to be part of the trade corridor between China, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan.

Goods, he said, are being transported from the Karachi port to Tajikistan via Afghanistan.

He also announced that Pakistan and Tajikistan exempted official passports from visa requirements.

The prime minister also pointed out the issue of terrorism, saying that both Pakistan and Tajikistan are afflicted by the menace. "Pakistan has been facing the scourge of terrorism for a long time now. The country has made significant sacrifices in the war against terrorism," he said.

"We pulled off uprooting terrorism from the country in 2017. However, the menace is resurging now, unfortunately," he stressed, adding that Pakistan wanted to eliminate terrorism through joint efforts with Tajikistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz also underscored the importance of peace in the region, saying: "The region can't prosper without peace."

While expressing his hope for the CASA-1000 project — an ambitious renewable energy infrastructure construction project — he said that it would be completed by the next year, which would bring prosperity to the region.

He also highlighted the challenges faced by the world, including the Ukraine war and the precarious humanitarian situation in Gaza, expressing his support for the Palestinian people's right to freedom.

At least 37,925 Palestinians have been killed and 87,141 have been injured in the Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

The premier expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome he received in Tajikistan. He invited the President of Tajikistan to visit Pakistan.