Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his determination to increase trade with Kazakhstan to $1 billion in two years. Speaking at the Pakistan-Kazakhstan Business Forum in Islamabad, Sharif said it was a pleasure to see a large number of traders from both countries participating in the forum. He also welcomed the visit of the Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Pakistan.
The Prime Minister and President Tokayev signed a joint statement, in which they emphasized the potential of central Asian states to access the seas through their ports, allowing Kazakhstan to export its products through the ports of Gwadar and Karachi. Sharif also stated that Pakistan aims to strengthen railway and road links with Kazakhstan and increase trade volume to $1 billion in two years.
The two countries have agreed to expand cooperation in the fields of trade and economy, and a five-year road map has been signed to achieve this goal. The agreement includes 37 bilateral agreements, which will serve as milestones for future cooperation between the two nations.
In a historic visit, President Tokayev has become the first Kazakh head of state to visit Pakistan in 23 years. The visit has resulted in the signing of several agreements, including the establishment of an inter-regional forum between the two countries.
Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the change in the nature of bilateral relations is an important milestone, and he thanked the Pakistani Prime Minister for organizing the business forum. He also emphasized that both countries have agreed to take their economic and trade relations to new heights, and have decided to cooperate in the fields of tourism, agriculture, education, IT, and other sectors.
The two countries have also agreed to promote business-to-business links through the Inter-Governmental Commission, and Pakistan and Kazakhstan will become an important source of regional and global connectivity. The proposed Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project has been identified as a key project for regional connectivity, and both countries have agreed to increase cooperation in the fields of energy, defense, tourism, and education.
Meanwhile, the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, Maulana Maqsood Ahmed, expressed his disappointment with the party members, saying that the government’s social media campaign is humiliating them. The spokesperson of the Balochistan government, Shahid Randhawa, announced that 100 suspects have been arrested in Quetta during an operation, and the city’s internet service will be restored today.
In other news, the Mayor of Karachi, Murtaza Wahab, inaugurated the annual financial show at the Karachi Zoo. Mian Javed Latif’s wife, Maryam Nawaz, stopped a motorcyclist and instructed him to wear a safety helmet, saying that he was driving without a safety net.
Following a bilateral meeting between the Prime Minister and the Uzbek President, the two leaders will hold a meeting with the visiting delegation. The use, sale, and purchase of kite-flying equipment, which has a religious and political connotation, have been prohibited.
