Pakistan calls regional connectivity vital for shared prosperity, highlights its role as trade hub

Pakistan calls regional connectivity vital for shared prosperity, highlights its role as trade hub
Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar is addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad on October 23, 2025. (PTV News/Screengrab)
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Pakistan calls regional connectivity vital for shared prosperity, highlights its role as trade hub

Pakistan calls regional connectivity vital for shared prosperity, highlights its role as trade hub
  • Ishaq Dar tells regional transport forum in Islamabad that connectivity is essential, not optional for states
  • He calls for a future where goods, energy, data and people move without any hindrances across borders

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Thursday regional connectivity was not optional but essential for shared prosperity, highlighting his country’s strategic location as a bridge between South and Central Asia, China and the Middle East.

Dar was addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad, which brought together officials from neighboring countries to discuss infrastructure, trade and cross-border cooperation.

He mentioned Pakistan’s focus on expanding road, rail, maritime and digital links while advancing trans-border energy and power projects.

“We meet today at a time of global transition, geo-economic shifts, new trade routes, digital integration and the move forward for sustainability are shaping trade and alliances today,” Dar told the participants of the conference. “In this environment, regional connectivity is not optional, it is essential for stability, growth and shared progress.”

He maintained such cooperation across the region would directly affect millions of lives.

“Pakistan’s strategic location connecting South Asia with Central Asia, the Middle East and China makes it a natural hub for regional connectivity,” he added. “Our vision is to build seamless linkages through road, rail, air, maritime, energy and digital corridors, turning geography into an opportunity.”

The deputy prime minister cited the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a symbol of “win-win cooperation” and a catalyst for energy and transport infrastructure across South and Central Asia.

He also highlighted projects such as the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Framework Agreement, the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad corridor, and the CASA-1000 and TAP-500 electricity transmission projects that aim to link Central Asian energy markets with his country.

“Pakistan is prioritizing digital trade platforms and e-port integration to create seamless, paperless and efficient trade flows, boosting efficiency, transparency and competitiveness and ensuring that our connectivity vision is future-ready,” he said amid Islamabad’s offer to landlocked Central Asian economies the use of its southern ports for global trade.

The Pakistani deputy PM said he envisioned “a future where goods, energy, data and people move without any hindrances across borders, where our economies complement and where connectivity drives inclusive growth.”

He added Pakistan was ready to coordinate transport plans, enhance cross-border facilitation, mobilize joint investments and strengthen regional value chains, calling on all participating nations to deepen engagement and forge durable partnerships.


Pakistan unveils electricity subsidy for industry, farmers amid IMF-backed energy overhaul

Pakistan unveils electricity subsidy for industry, farmers amid IMF-backed energy overhaul
Updated 18 min 54 sec ago

Pakistan unveils electricity subsidy for industry, farmers amid IMF-backed energy overhaul

Pakistan unveils electricity subsidy for industry, farmers amid IMF-backed energy overhaul
  • New ‘Roshan Maeeshat’ initiative to provide electricity at Rs22.98 ($0.08) per unit till 2028
  • PM says reduced tariffs aim to spur exports and job creation without burdening households

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday unveiled a three-year electricity subsidy for its industrial and agricultural sectors, offering power at Rs22.98 ($0.08) per unit under a new “Roshan Maeeshat Bijli Package,” the prime minister’s office said. 

The plan aims to boost exports, create jobs, and revive economic growth, even as Islamabad pursues IMF-mandated energy reforms to reduce losses and phase out untargeted subsidies.

Under the package, industries and farmers will receive additional electricity at reduced rates from November 2025 to October 2028. Existing tariffs of Rs34 ($0.12) per unit for industry and Rs38 ($0.14) for agriculture will be lowered to Rs22.98 ($0.08) to make Pakistani products more competitive in regional markets.

“The electricity supplied under the Roshan Maeeshat Bijli Package will not place any burden on households or other sectors,” Sharif was quoted as saying in a statement released by his office, adding that economic revival and job creation required relief for productive industries and farmers.

He called the initiative “a timely measure to strengthen Pakistan’s economy and ensure growth in exports and employment,” saying industrial and agricultural growth was key to reducing the country’s debt dependency.

During last winter’s pilot phase of the package, industries and farmers consumed an additional 410 gigawatt-hours of power, helping boost production and exports while creating new employment opportunities, according to official data.

“By supporting our farmers and industries with affordable energy, we will accelerate growth and move toward self-reliance,” Sharif said, adding that with continued efforts from the government’s economic team and the business community, Pakistan would achieve “full economic sovereignty in the near future.”

Pakistan’s energy sector remains one of its biggest economic challenges, marked by high generation costs, heavy subsidies and a mounting “circular debt” that stood at about Rs2.396 trillion ($8.6 billion) by end-March 2025.

Under the 37-month, $7 billion IMF Extended Fund Facility approved in September 2024, Islamabad committed to restoring cost recovery in the power sector, cutting line losses, and phasing out untargeted energy subsidies. The Fund has repeatedly urged Pakistan to align tariffs with actual supply costs and limit fiscal support to targeted, time-bound relief programs.

To ease financial pressures on state-run power distributors, the government secured a Rs1.275 trillion ($4.6 billion) syndicated financing deal with local banks in June 2025 to offset part of the debt.

With industrial growth constrained by repeated tariff hikes and erratic power supply, business groups have long warned that high energy costs make Pakistani goods uncompetitive in global markets.
 


Polish deputy PM arrives in Pakistan to bolster bilateral ties

Polish deputy PM arrives in Pakistan to bolster bilateral ties
Updated 23 October 2025

Polish deputy PM arrives in Pakistan to bolster bilateral ties

Polish deputy PM arrives in Pakistan to bolster bilateral ties
  • Radoslaw Sikorski to hold one-on-one, delegation-level meetings with Deputy PM Ishaq Dar
  • This will be the Polish official’s first visit to Pakistan in 14 years as he last visited country in 2011

ISLAMABAD: Polish Deputy Prime Minister Radoslaw Sikorski arrived in Pakistan on Thursday for a two-day official visit to discuss bilateral relations, Pakistan’s foreign office said.

According to an official statement released a day earlier, Sikorski is undertaking the visit at the invitation of his Pakistani counterpart, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar.

It said this would be the Polish official’s second visit to the country, who first visited Pakistan in 2011. 

“Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of Poland H.E. Radosław Sikorski @sikorskiradek arrived in Islamabad today for a two-day official visit,” the foreign office said in a brief announcement.

He is scheduled to hold a one-on-one meeting with Dar and delegation-level talks with Pakistani officials.

The visit reflects an attempt by both countries to enhance their diplomatic ties, which date back to 1962.

Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Poland reached $922 million in 2023, with the former’s exports recorded at $794 million and imports at $128 million. 

Polish Oil and Gas Company (PGNiG) has also been engaged in petroleum exploration and production in Pakistan since 1997.


Pakistan condemns Israel’s West Bank annexation move, urges global action

Pakistan condemns Israel’s West Bank annexation move, urges global action
Updated 23 October 2025

Pakistan condemns Israel’s West Bank annexation move, urges global action

Pakistan condemns Israel’s West Bank annexation move, urges global action
  • Pakistan urges international community to act after Israel advances bills to annex parts of the West Bank
  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned annexation, settler violence could undermine Gaza peace deal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned Israel’s move to annex the occupied West Bank, calling it a “flagrant violation” of international law, barely a week after US President Donald Trump pushed through a deal aimed at ending a two-year Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli lawmakers voted on Wednesday to advance two bills to extend Israeli sovereignty over parts of the occupied territory, prompting a wave of international criticism, including from Washington, a longtime ally of Israel.

Pakistan’s foreign office urged the global community to play its role in halting the “illegal actions” by the Israeli administration.

“Pakistan strongly condemns Israel’s attempt to extend its so-called ‘sovereignty’ over parts of the Occupied West Bank, including illegal Israeli settlements, through a draft law introduced in the legislature of the occupying power,” the foreign office said in a statement. “These actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law, relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.”

The statement said such provocative measures could undermine ongoing efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.

It called on the international community to take “urgent and decisive action” to stop these steps and hold Israeli forces accountable for “continued violations of international law.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also warned Israel against pursuing annexation, saying moves by its parliament and rising settler violence in the West Bank threatened the fragile Gaza peace deal.

“I think the president [Trump] has made clear that’s not something we can be supportive of right now,” he told reporters before departing for Israel.

“Annexation moves are threatening for the peace deal.”

The US remains Israel’s primary military and diplomatic backer, but Washington’s efforts to rally Arab and Muslim partners to fund and staff a Gaza stabilization force have faced pushback amid growing regional anger over annexation efforts.

With input from AFP


Pakistan highlights mining investment potential at Sydney conference, invites Saudi investors

Pakistan highlights mining investment potential at Sydney conference, invites Saudi investors
Updated 23 October 2025

Pakistan highlights mining investment potential at Sydney conference, invites Saudi investors

Pakistan highlights mining investment potential at Sydney conference, invites Saudi investors
  • Ali Pervez Malik meets Saudi, Swedish and French officials at IMARC 2025 in Australia to discuss mining cooperation
  • He also interacts with Pakistani entrepreneurs in Sydney, applauds overseas Pakistanis for strengthening the economy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ali Pervez Malik highlighted investment opportunities in the country’s mineral sector, said an official statement on Thursday, as he met officials from , Sweden and France on the sidelines of a major international conference in Sydney, Australia.

The International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) 2025, one of the world’s largest gatherings for the global mining, resources and energy industries, brings together government leaders, investors and companies to explore partnerships and sustainable development opportunities.

Mining and minerals have emerged as priority sectors for Pakistan as the government seeks to attract international companies under its broader strategy of shifting toward export-led growth.

Malik used the forum to promote Pakistan’s mineral potential and while specifically urging Saudi entrepreneurs to explore the area.

“ and Pakistan share a long-standing friendship and a bond of sincere goodwill,” he said after meeting Saudi Vice Minister for Industry and Mineral Resources Engineer Khalid Al-Mudaifer, according to the statement.

“We welcome Saudi investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s mineral and mining sectors.”

Pakistan’s Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ali Pervez Malik (center left) holds meeting with Vice Minister of Industry & Mineral Resources of , Khalid Al-Mudaifer, on the sidelines of IMARC 2025 conference in Sydney on October 23, 2025. (Pakistan High Commission Australia)

In separate meetings, Malik interacted with Sweden’s State Secretary for International Development Diana Jansse and France’s Interministerial Delegate for Strategic Minerals and Metals Supply Benjamin Gallezot, with discussions focused on cooperation and potential investment in Pakistan’s mining value chain.

Pakistan is believed to hold untapped mineral reserves worth around $6 trillion, including copper, gold, lithium, coal, rock salt and iron ore.

Despite this, the mineral sector contributes only about 3.2 percent to national GDP, and mineral exports account for less than 0.1 percent of global trade in those commodities.

Malik also met World Bank Operations Manager for the Pacific Region Naveed Naqvi at the Pakistani Consulate in Sydney and later held talks with members of the Pakistani business community based in Australia.

He said Pakistan’s recent policy reforms and improvements in its credit ratings reflected growing confidence in the country’s economic direction.

“Overseas Pakistanis have always played an important role in strengthening the national economy,” he added.


Pakistan recall Babar Azam, Naseem Shah for T20s against South Africa, Sri Lanka

Pakistan recall Babar Azam, Naseem Shah for T20s against South Africa, Sri Lanka
Updated 23 October 2025

Pakistan recall Babar Azam, Naseem Shah for T20s against South Africa, Sri Lanka

Pakistan recall Babar Azam, Naseem Shah for T20s against South Africa, Sri Lanka
  • Pakistan Cricket Board names 15-man T20I and 16-man ODI squads for busy home season
  • The two series form part of Pakistan’s preparations for next year’s ICC Champions Trophy

KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday named a 15-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa and a tri-nation tournament with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, recalling star batter Babar Azam and fast bowler Naseem Shah after their absence from recent white-ball fixtures.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) also announced a 16-member squad for the one-day internationals against South Africa and Sri Lanka next month. The two-matchups form part of Pakistan’s preparations ahead of next year’s ICC Champions Trophy, which the country is set to host.

“Abdul Samad, Babar Azam and Naseem Shah make a comeback to the side after missing out on previous events,” the PCB said in a statement. “Usman Tariq is the only uncapped player in the T20I squad.”

The three-match T20I series against South Africa will run from Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 in Rawalpindi and Lahore, followed by ODIs in Faisalabad from Nov. 4 to 8.

Pakistan will then host Sri Lanka for three ODIs in Rawalpindi from Nov. 11 to 15, before staging a T20I tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from Nov. 17 to 29.

In the ODI squad, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf and Haseebullah return to the side, while Shaheen Shah Afridi will lead the 50-over team and Salman Ali Agha will captain the T20 outfit.