Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has underscored the urgent need to improve land, air, and sea transport links between Pakistan and Iran, calling stronger connectivity the key to unlocking the full potential of bilateral trade.
During a high-level meeting in Islamabad with Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development, Farzana Sadiq, Aleem Khan described the current geopolitical climate as a “golden opportunity” to strengthen long-term cooperation between the two neighboring nations.
“The recent developments have brought Pakistan and Iran even closer. Now is the time to turn our solidarity into a powerful economic partnership,” Khan stated. He noted that enhanced connectivity across borders could significantly boost trade and regional integration.
Welcoming the Iranian delegation, Aleem Khan congratulated Iran on what he termed a “victory against Israel,” saying that the Islamic world stands united in admiration of Iran’s resilience. He also extended an invitation to Minister Sadiq to attend a regional transportation summit scheduled for October 23–24 in Islamabad.
The meeting was attended by other key figures, including Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi. Discussions focused on the formation of joint working groups to accelerate progress on infrastructure, trade facilitation, and logistics.
Iranian Minister Farzana Sadiq thanked Pakistan for its steadfast diplomatic support and emphasized the need to increase cross-border vehicular traffic. She proposed modernizing the Zahedan-Quetta route and exploring enhanced maritime connectivity via Gwadar and Chabahar ports.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal highlighted the trade potential between the two countries, noting that with better infrastructure and policy coordination, Pakistan and Iran could become major markets for each other.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi also announced plans to review and upgrade the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul rail corridor. He emphasized improvements to the Pakistan-Zahedan railway line and plans to increase both freight and passenger train operations.
The meeting concluded with mutual commitment to deepen economic ties and advance infrastructure projects that would benefit the broader region.