Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, on Thursday, calling Pakistan a regional hub for connectivity, said that the country was ready to coordinate transport, enhance cross-border facilitation, mobilise joint investments, and strengthen regional value chains.
The deputy prime minister, addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad, hosted by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Pakistan, with a theme “Regional Connectivity: Opportunities for the Region,” said that by turning geography into opportunity, Pakistan was building pathways for inclusive growth and cooperation.
The conference was attended by transport ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, besides delegates from the Asian Development Bank, Economic Cooperation Organisation, International Road Transport Union, and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
Calling the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor a catalyst for energy infrastructure development, transport connectivity, and enhanced trade across South and Central Asia, he said the project also embodied the commitment to building partnerships for the benefit of Pakistan, China, as well as the entire region.
“Pakistan’s high-speed motorways and national highways form the backbone of regional and domestic connectivity, linking key border crossings to the ports of Karachi and Gwadar. Integrated border and maritime systems enable faster transit, reduce costs, and strengthen Pakistan’s role as a vital trade and transit corridor,” he said.
He also highlighted the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Framework Agreement as a landmark initiative and the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad Road and Rail Corridor, which held great promise for regional and global trade.
He told the participants that Pakistan was a committed partner in CASA-1000, and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-500 projects aimed at playing a vital role in strengthening energy security, supporting economic growth, and linking markets.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar also highlighted Pakistan’s e-visa facilities for citizens of 126 countries, particularly those from the Gulf States and Central Asia, as well as measures to overcome challenges to regional integration, such as improving banking access and facilitating the smooth cross-border movement of people and goods across road, rail, and sea routes.
“Physical and digital connectivity is essential to advance together. Pakistan is prioritising digital trade platforms and e-ports integration to create seamless, paperless, and efficient trade flows, ensuring transparency, competitiveness, and a future-ready vision of connectivity.”
He said that the said projects were building blocks for regional integration, instruments for economic transformation, and enablers of peace and stability, besides representing a future where goods, energy, data, and people move seamlessly across borders, economies complement one another, and connectivity drives inclusive growth.
The deputy prime minister invited all partners to deepen engagement, align strategies, and forge durable partnerships.
“Together, we can transform these corridors into engines of growth. Connectivity is about building trust, opportunity, and a shared destiny,” he remarked.
