ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday that regional connectivity was not optional, terming it essential for growth and shared progress.
“Connectivity is not optional. It is essential for stability, growth and shared progress. Regional cooperation directly impacts the lives of millions of our people,” he said while addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad.
Transport Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, among others, are participating in the two-day conference. 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 are also attending.
In his remarks, Dar said that many countries in the region were already investing in forward-looking connectivity projects. “Central Asia is emerging as a true trans Eurasian land bridge,” he said.
He noted that oil and gas pipelines laid down across deserts and mountains linked markets, while expanding road and rail networks demonstrated a collective commitment.
“These projects are not just infrastructure, they create shared opportunities. We can and must achieve more by aligning our efforts and working together. The whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts.”
He further said that Pakistan’s strategic location connecting South Asia with Central Asia, the Middle East and China made it a “natural hub for regional connectivity”.
“Our vision is to build seamless linkages through road, rail, air, maritime, energy and digital corridors — turning geography into an opportunity,” he said.
“No project better symbolises Pakistan’s vision of win-win cooperation through connectivity than the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” he said, adding that the project was now widely recognised as a “catalyst for energy infrastructure development, transport connectivity and enhanced trade across the whole of South and Central Asia”.
“It embodies our commitment to building partnerships that deliver tangible benefits, not just for Pakistan and China but for the entire region.”
Dar also called Pakistan’s high-speed motorways and national highways the “backbone of regional and domestic connectivity”, linking key border crossings to the Karachi and Gwadar ports.
“Integrated border and maritime systems enable faster transit, reduce costs and strengthen Pakistan’s role as a vital trade and transit corridor,” he said.
Speaking on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Framework Agreement, he said it was a landmark initiative that had opened new trade avenues. Similarly, he said the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad road and rail corridors offered a cost-effective land bridge across Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and South Asia.
“These corridors hold immense promise for regional trade and beyond,” he said.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s partnership in the Central Asia–South Asia (CASA-1000) electricity transmission and trade project transmitting surplus electricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
He also stressed the country’s commitment to investing in energy projects such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP-500) electricity transmission project for strengthening energy security, supporting economic growth and “linking our markets and resources for our shared progress”.
He added that Pakistan was also expanding and modernising its ports and logistics infrastructure and enhancing air connectivity to promote tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
“Physical and digital connectivity must advance together,” the foreign minister stressed.
“Pakistan is prioritising digital trade platforms and e-port integration to create seamless, paperless and efficient trade flows, boosting efficiency, transparency and competitiveness, and ensuring that our connectivity vision is future-ready.”
He acknowledged the “valuable support” of Pakistan’s development partners, multilateral banks, UN agencies and regional organisations for their “technical expertise, financing and competitive building efforts” that were “instrumental” in moving the projects forward.
He called these initiatives “building blocks for regional integration, instruments for economic transformation and enablers of peace and stability”.
“They represent a future where goods, energy, data and people move without any hindrances across borders,” he said. “Where our economies complement [each other] and where connectivity drives inclusive growth.”
Dar said that the roundtable today would provide an opportunity to identify shared priorities and agree on practical steps for collaboration.
“Pakistan stands ready to coordinate transport plans, enhance cross-border facilitation, mobilise joint investments and strengthen regional value chains,” he said. “Every country has a vital role in the shared journey towards connectivity and prosperity.”
He invited all partners to deepen engagement, align strategies and forge durable partnerships, saying, “Together we can transform these corridors into engines of growth.
“Connectivity is about building trust, opportunity and shared destiny,” he added.
Dar ended by extending a “very warm welcome” to all the participants of the conference and wishing them productive and meaningful discussions with a “successful and fruitful outcome”.
“I thank you for your presence, your partnership and your commitment to advancing our shared vision of connectivity and cooperation,” he said.
