By: Adnan Arif
Addressing the Ministerial Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tianjin, China, Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan reaffirmed Pakistan’s strong commitment to enhance trade through rail, road, and air routes. He expressed Pakistan’s keen interest in establishing trade corridors through China, Afghanistan and Iran, highlighting the country’s strategic role in regional connectivity and trade activities. Federal Minister emphasized that under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Pakistan has achieved major milestones in road infrastructure. “Our focus now is to expand trade beyond the borders of Afghanistan and Iran with fully functional international-standard cargo ports in Gwadar and Karachi,” he added. Federal Minister for Communications also underscored the significance of Khunjerab in the North and the coastal gateways of Gwadar and Karachi in Pakistan’s trade expansion strategy. Highlighting regional development initiatives, Abdul Aleem Khan noted that the proposed Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Project would be a transformative step for the entire region. He confirmed that Pakistan supports the construction of Silk Road Stations with China’s cooperation and that the Khunjerab–Sust Route will now remain operational year-round from year 2023.
It is worth mentioning that 10 Member countries are participating in the ongoing SCO Ministerial Conference while India once again opted not to attend. As per details from India Anand Prakash was listed to attend this SCO who remained absent and his seat was left vacant. Talking about this, Abdul Aleem Khan remarked that such irresponsible behavior on a global forum is regrettable and shows India’s unwillingness to face its regional counterparts. “Pakistan has always advocated for mutual respect and cooperation while as a nuclear power, India must adopt a responsible attitude and behave like a good neighbor,” he stated. SCO delegates from other countries also expressed surprise and disappointment over India’s absence in this Ministerial Session of SCO.
In his address, the Federal Minister informed the conference that Pakistan is actively pursuing the digitalization of its Transport Systems and moving rapidly toward smart transport solutions. He added that Pakistan has implemented a visa-on-arrival policy for citizens of 126 countries with over 20,000 visas issued so far under this initiative. Abdul Aleem Khan expressed satisfaction with the proceedings of the SCO Conference and reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to fully implement its decisions. He stressed that the region’s progress hinges on mutual trust, cooperation and modern transport connectivity. As a permanent member of the SCO since 2017, Pakistan is dedicated to improve communication infrastructure and forming an integrated transport network with other Member States.
