Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has urged Uzbekistan to accelerate the construction of the Trans-Afghan Railway, a major regional rail corridor linking Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan, during talks with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek.
Sharif said the two countries should speed up the joint feasibility study and make greater use of existing multimodal transport routes to move the project forward. He described the railway as a strategic initiative that would strengthen connectivity between Central and South Asia and provide Uzbekistan with direct access to Pakistani seaports.
The three countries agreed in July last year to conduct a joint feasibility study for the railway, but construction has not yet begun.
The project has become increasingly expensive. Uzbek officials have previously said revised estimates show the railway could cost more than $7 billion, up from an earlier estimate of about $4.6 billion, reflecting higher construction and infrastructure costs.
The renewed push comes despite worsening relations between Pakistan and the Taliban administration in Afghanistan. Recent months have seen border clashes, cross-border military strikes, the temporary closure of border crossings, and disruptions to trade between the two countries.
Pakistan has also intensified pressure on the Taliban by deporting Afghan migrants and restricting cross-border commerce, measures Islamabad says are intended to address security concerns.
During the meeting, Sharif and Mirziyoyev also agreed to expand bilateral trade and investment, setting a target of increasing Pakistan-Uzbekistan trade to $2 billion by 2029 through stronger economic cooperation and improved regional transport links.
The Trans-Afghan Railway is considered one of the region’s most significant connectivity projects. If completed, it would connect Central Asia with Pakistan’s ports on the Arabian Sea, reduce the region’s dependence on existing trade routes, and strengthen Afghanistan’s role as a key transit corridor between Central and South Asia.
