Pakistan and Tajikistan Discuss New Air Connectivity Plan Amid Regional Cooperation Efforts
Mohammad Sadiq, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, announced that Islamabad and Dushanbe have discussed enhancing air connectivity between Pakistan and Tajikistan under the framework of the “Afghanistan–Central Asia Intergovernmental Coordination Cell.”
On Tuesday, 15th of Sawr, Sadiq wrote in a message on X that the meeting covered regional coordination, setting common priorities, and next steps for cooperation. According to him, expanding economic and transit interactions was central to the discussions.
Sadiq added that the inclusion of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the quadrilateral transit agreement between Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan was also reviewed. Facilitating visa issuance for Tajik traders was another topic of discussion, an action that could boost trade movement across the region.
These developments come amid recent reports of Pakistan’s efforts to strengthen transport routes with Central Asia, bypassing Afghanistan. This approach may reflect Islamabad’s shifting regional calculations following the unstable relations with the Taliban administration.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, relations between the two sides have repeatedly suffered tension, even resulting in armed clashes along the border. Currently, border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been fully closed for months, with no official trade flow, a situation that has severely impacted traders and residents of the border areas.
