Planning Minister Directs to Expedite Connectivity Plans to Enhance Regional Cooperation with Central Asia

Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal chaired a meeting to review the road and rail connectivity plans with Central Asian States and Europe. The meeting was attended by the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Planning, members of the Planning Commission, and senior officials from the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Railways. During the meeting, officials from the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Communications presented their strategic connectivity plans. The minister underscored the importance of establishing a comprehensive roadmap for collaboration with Central Asian states. He said Pakistan is located at a strategic location and can become a hub of regional connectivity following multi model transparent strategy. We must provide efficient and reliable trade corridors for taking full advantage of our location, he added. The planning minister directed the concerned ministries to finalize their plans, addressing any missing links in the connectivity with Central Asian states. He stressed that all proposals should be feasible and thoroughly prepared. “We need to ensure that our proposals are actionable and ready for implementation”, said Ahsan Iqbal The meeting concluded with a consensus on expediting the finalization of the connectivity plans to enhance regional cooperation and economic integration with Central Asia.