Federal Minister for Communications Abdul Aleem Khan has emphasised the need to strengthen land, air and sea connections between Pakistan and Iran.
Speaking at a high-level meeting with Iranian Minister for Roads and Urban Development Farzana Sadiq in Islamabad, Minister Aleem Khan said recent developments had created a “golden opportunity” for both countries to build lasting cooperation.
“Land, air and sea links are essential for increasing Pak-Iran bilateral trade,” he said. “This battle [referring to Iran’s confrontation with Israel] brought Pakistan and Iran closer. It is time to transform solidarity into strong economic partnership.”
Aleem Khan welcomed the Iranian President and his delegation to Pakistan, congratulating the Iranian people on what he described as a “victory against Israel,” adding that the Islamic world shared pride in Iran’s resilience.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan and Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi. The two sides discussed the formation of joint working groups to expedite collaboration and improve trade logistics.
Aleem Khan Khan also invited Farzana Sadiq to attend a regional ministerial conference on transportation scheduled for October 23–24 in Islamabad.
During the meeting, Iranian Minister Farzana Sadiq expressed gratitude to Pakistan for its vocal support in the face of Israeli aggression and called for increased vehicular movement between the two countries.
She proposed innovative upgrades to the Zahedan-Quetta route and highlighted the potential for expanded cooperation through key maritime links such as Gwadar and Chabahar ports.
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan presented a briefing on bilateral trade growth, suggesting that both nations could emerge as significant markets for one another with improved infrastructure and policy coordination.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi said the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul rail corridor would be reviewed, with plans underway to upgrade the Pakistan-Zahedan railway track and increase the number of freight and passenger trains.
