Pakistan, Uzbekistan want to boost ties

ISLAMABAD: Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gillani on Friday met Chairperson of the Senate of the Oliy Majlis of Uzbekistan Tanzila K Narbaeva on the sidelines of the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Tashkent.

This is the second time the two have met; first meeting was in Baku at the APA conference. This is also the chairman Senate’s second visit to Uzbekistan, with the first during his tenure as prime minister in 2011.

According to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat, during the meeting, both leaders reaffirmed the deep-rooted historical ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, which are built upon centuries of shared culture, religion and history. They emphasized the importance of strengthening parliamentary cooperation, trade and connectivity to unlock the full potential of their relationship.

Gillani commended Uzbekistan on successfully hosting the 150th IPU Assembly and congratulated the Uzbek leadership on the recent parliamentary elections in October 2024. He highlighted that the recent visit of Pakistan’s prime minister to Uzbekistan in February 2025 paved the way for enhanced strategic cooperation, with multiple Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed to further expand bilateral engagements.

Both sides agreed that high-level visits should be increased to improve diplomatic, economic and cultural relations. The discussion included the necessity of exploring road and railway connectivity between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, particularly the Trans-Afghan Railway Project, which is vital for enhancing regional trade and integration. Acknowledging the growth in bilateral trade, both leaders agreed that current figures remained considerably below its true potential; the goal should be to increase bilateral trade to at least $2 billion in the coming years, in line with the commitment made during the recent visit of Shehbaz Sharif to Uzbekistan.

Recognizing the close geographical proximity between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, both sides discussed the need for better flight routes connecting multiple cities across both countries to facilitate tourism, trade and people-to-people exchanges. Gillani welcomed the resumption of direct flights between Lahore and Tashkent and emphasized the importance of expanding air connectivity to other major cities in both countries.