Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan sign railway framework agreement

July 18, 2025 (MLN): In a significant step toward enhancing regional connectivity and economic integration, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan signed the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project in Kabul.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who arrived in Kabul earlier the same day on a one-day visit, made the shared the development via a post on X.

He extended congratulations to the governments and people of the three nations on the agreement for the Naibabad–Kharlachi rail link under the UAP Railway Corridor.

Dar highlighted the agreement as a major milestone, noting that it would establish a direct connection between Central Asian countries and Pakistani seaports via Afghanistan.

He acknowledged the support of the Uzbek and Afghan foreign ministers and credited the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for initiating and assigning him the task during his previous tenure as finance minister.

A trilateral meeting was held prior to the signing, where the foreign ministers of the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties in peace, connectivity, trade, and regional development.

The meeting emphasized the need for continued cooperation to unlock economic opportunities and ensure prosperity for the region.

The UAP Railway Project, first agreed upon in 2023, will traverse through Termiz (Uzbekistan), Mazar-i-Sharif and Logar (Afghanistan), and reach Pakistan via the Kharlachi border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Designed to support both freight and passenger traffic, the corridor aims to facilitate regional, transit, and bilateral trade among the participating countries.

During the visit, Dar was accompanied by Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, the special representative for Afghanistan, and the secretary of the Ministry of Railways.

Alongside the formal trilateral meeting, Dar and Abbasi also held bilateral talks with Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, transit, and security and stressed the importance of continued engagement to realise the region’s economic potential.

Dar also called on Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund.

Their discussion focused on shared interests such as peace, trade, transit cooperation, and connectivity.

A separate meeting with Acting Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani involved detailed discussions on regional security and the need to eliminate mutual threats.

Dar reiterated the importance of addressing concerns, particularly those related to border management and security, in order to fully benefit from economic partnerships and connectivity projects.

The Foreign Office, in an earlier statement, confirmed that the UAP Railway Project is expected to boost regional trade and transit while promoting overall development and stability.

It added that Thursday's agreement marked a vital step toward implementation.

Prior to the visit, Dar had also engaged with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov to review progress on the agreement.

In June, both Pakistan and Uzbekistan reaffirmed their commitment to beginning work on the railway corridor, calling it a landmark initiative for boosting regional trade and economic growth.

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