Islamabad (TDI): Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and the Ambassador of Tajikistan, Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir, met in Islamabad on Tuesday.
Both discussed strategic measures for enhancing bilateral trade, strengthening transit connectivity and deepening institutional cooperation between the two nations.
During the meeting, Minister Jam Kamal Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating regional trade through more efficient logistics and expanded transit routes.
He also emphasized that relying on a single corridor is not a sustainable long-term strategy and stressed the need to maintain multiple operational routes to ensure continuity and resilience of the trade.
He further proposed the development of an integrated commercial corridor, including the establishment of logistics hubs, cargo handling facilities, and integrated transport systems.
He highlighted that such infrastructure is essential to create an efficient supply chain linking to Pakistan with Central Asia.
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The Minister highlighted that the timely completion of internal procedures under existing transit frameworks, such as the Quadrilateral Traffic-in-Transit Agreement (QTTA) is crucial to operationalizing regional trade mechanisms.
The discussion also focused on strengthening institutional linkages. The Minister proposed facilitating direct interaction between the export and import agencies of both countries through online meetings to begin sector-specific cooperation and draft Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).
He emphasized that the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) could play an essential role in government-to-government trade for key goods, while supporting private sector participation.
Ambassador Sharifzoda Yusuf Toir expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s pro-active efforts in regional connectivity. By emphasizing Tajikistan’s economic potential, he highlighted opportunities to supply surplus energy to Pakistan and identified significant potential for cooperation in the aluminum sector and industrial value chains.
Both sides agreed to use the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) as a key forum to advance bilateral cooperation. In addition, the representatives suggested organizing a business-to-business (B2B) forum on the sidelines of upcoming engagements to encourage direct interaction between private sector stakeholders.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from both sides to continue close coordination to translate these strategic discussions into concrete economic outcomes.
Muhammad Usman Hashmi is a researcher in International Relations, focusing on climate diplomacy, global governance, and political economy in the Global South. He has contributed to policy dialogues with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia and serves as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Council on Human Rights, Peace and Politics. He is also associated with Rethinking Economics Islamabad, contributing to research on development and sustainability.
