-
-
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan have signed a Framework Agreement for a Joint Feasibility Study on the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link, a key step under the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan (UAP) Railway Corridor.
The agreement was signed in Kabul during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, who confirmed the development in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“I congratulate the people and governments of all three countries,” said Dar, calling the UAP Corridor a “major milestone in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration.”
The UAP Railway Corridor is designed to link Central Asia with Pakistan’s seaports via Afghanistan, offering a shorter, cost-effective route for regional trade and energy transit.
READ: Pakistan, Afghanistan agree to finalize Trans-Afghan railway project
Dar credited Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership during the previous PDM government (2022–23) for laying the groundwork for the trilateral railway project when he served as Finance Minister.
“The signing of today’s agreement is the result of that commitment,” Dar said, adding that the foundations were laid collectively with Uzbekistan and Afghanistan as part of a long-term vision.
He also expressed gratitude to Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi for their role in finalizing the agreement through close coordination.
During his Kabul visit, Dar held bilateral talks with Amir Khan Muttaqi, where both sides agreed to enhance cooperation on economic development and trans-regional connectivity projects.
They also called for increased trade, transit, and security collaboration, and committed to building on recent momentum to deepen Pakistan-Afghanistan ties for mutual prosperity.
