ISLAMABAD – Kazakhstan has expressed a strong commitment to fully finance the development of new trade corridors connecting Pakistan to Central Asian states through China, aiming to replace current difficult land routes with faster, more reliable connectivity. The plan is expected to give a significant boost to both bilateral and regional trade.
Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, H.E. Yerzhan Kistafin, conveyed this offer during a meeting with Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan on Saturday. According to an official press release, the ambassador also revealed that the President of Kazakhstan will make a two-day official visit to Pakistan in early November — a trip anticipated to deliver major advancements in Pakistan–Kazakhstan relations
In preparation for the visit, both countries will set up Joint Working Groups in Commerce and Transport to address trade logistics and improve connectivity. Ambassador Kistafin also highlighted Kazakhstan’s keen interest in expanding trade with Pakistan, pointing to the Kashgar–Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan corridor and suggesting upgrades to the Karachi–Chaman–Kandahar route, which is already in use for cross-border commerce.
Minister Abdul Aleem Khan assured full cooperation, reiterating Pakistan’s resolve to create modern trade links to Central Asia through China, Afghanistan, and Iran. He stressed that regional countries have a crucial role in promoting land-based trade, referencing recent international conferences in Belarus and Iran that focused on connectivity and transport infrastructure.
Khan added that Pakistan envisions an inter-country road network similar to the Karakoram Highway, designed to strengthen economic integration in the region.
The meeting also addressed pending matters with the National Logistics Cell (NLC) concerning trade agreements. Federal Secretary for Communications Ali Sher Mehsud was also in attendance.
