Ms Zohra Asif is currently pursuing a Bachelor's in International Relations from International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).
Introduction
Pakistan and Uzbekistan appreciate exceptional chronicled relations. The old Buddhist locales of Kara Tepa and Fez Tepa at Termez, Uzbekistan uncover the untold accounts of movements by the priests of the Julian religious community from Taxila (Pakistan) and other Buddhist destinations in Swat (Pakistan) to Termez and then some, spreading their message from South to Central Asia. The pearls of insight radiating from Samarkand and Bukhara over hundreds of years enlightened the hearts and brains of individuals living in lands that are today a part of Pakistan.
The two grounds have been generally entwined with encounters of strict trades and otherworldly liberation, joined as one political substance under Abbasids and afterward under the incomparable Amir Taimur. The Timurid Empire extended south to incorporate practically every one of the grounds that are currently Pakistan.
These interconnected grounds, nonetheless, succumbed to international partitions, counterfeit obstructions, “extraordinary games,” “iron drapes,” and the “new incredible game” in the course of recent hundreds of years. Their distinction is indeed a deviation from their long history of interconnectedness.
Pakistan was among the principal nations to perceive Uzbekistan’s freedom in 1991. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was among the pioneers in opening the skies of a free Uzbekistan and interfacing it with the rest of the world. Though both states have wanted to connect, territorial improvements banned us from manufacturing an ideal relationship.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan are bound together by history, culture, and religion. Our understanding of history, our saints, our goals for the future, and our standpoint for the district are something similar. Imam Bukhari and Imam Naqshbandi have an enormous continuing in Pakistan.
The two nations share normal desires for harmony, progress, and success for their people. Under President Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan is going through an enormous monetary change. Additionally, under Imran Khan, Pakistan has reoriented its concentration from international relations to geo-financial matters. A few drives are in progress to change Pakistan into a local exchange and availability center point.
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is flawlessly advancing towards fulfillment. New seaports, air terminals, rail lines, street foundations, exceptional monetary zones, modern zones, and various other framework and financial advancement projects are quickly changing Pakistan’s standpoint and profile. With these changes, Pakistan is in transit toward understanding its actual financial potential and arising as a local exchange and business center.
Under the “Vision Central Asia” strategy, Pakistan focuses on an improved, substantial, powerful, result-situated, and long-haul practical commitment with Central Asian nations by fashioning vital organizations. The arrangement has five columns: political, exchange and venture, energy and network, security and guard, and individuals-to-individual trades.
There are enormous complementarities in the monetary interests of Pakistan and the Central Asian states. Availability is our greatest resource; geology makes Pakistan the briefest, generally prudent, productive, and most straightforward land network course for Central Asia, especially for Uzbekistan, to the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan will assist Uzbekistan and the other Central Asian nations in exchange with the world by utilizing its seaports. Also, Uzbekistan is prepared to work with Pakistan’s fares to Central Asia by giving warehousing offices in strategically essential areas.
Shavkat Miziyoyev: A Blessing for Uzbekistan
In the 29th Ceremony of Uzbekistan’s freedom, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev noticed that Uzbekistan was on the edge of another time, the Third Renaissance. The president of Uzbekistan highlighted that countries can only construct their futures if they are self-sufficient. “Liberty must be gained not given!”
This was the great goal of our forefathers who gave their lives for the nation’s freedom. The spirit of independence has always been their basis, no matter how hazardous and tragic times they have faced, or what successes and outcomes they have achieved today, they can boast that thanks to their people’s solidarity and unselfish efforts, they have passed all exams.
From this perspective, the restoration of their human dignity, pride and honor, religion, and national statehood on the day of Pakistan’s independence will always remain the brightest page in the magnificent history of their motherland. When Uzbekistan is mentioned in the international arena nowadays, the term “New Uzbekistan” is utilized. It is a celebration of its outstanding achievements in recent years, as it has progressed to a new level of development.
Furthermore, in 2019 alone, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade turnover increased by 26.2 percent and amounted to $42.2 billion. Moreover, despite the global pandemic, Uzbekistan’s foreign trade reached $27.5 billion in just 9 months of 2020.
Under the leadership of Shavkat Miziyoyev, the friendly foreign policy of Uzbekistan is working wonders. It was critical in resolving the Afghan conflict. He proposed a new agency under the UN’s auspices to help Afghanistan recover from its many years of isolation and war while speaking before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Uzbekistan Keen to Build Rail Link Between Central & South Asia
Uzbekistan’s enthusiasm to further develop rail links between the Central and South Asian nations has encouraged numerous international financial bodies—the World Bank (WB), the European Investment Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the US International Development Finance Corporation (IDFC)—to express their interest in contributing to the project.
The project will include the development of a 573-kilometer (356 miles) railroad line with an annual carrying capacity of as much as 20 to 30 million tons of payload. The new transport corridor will further develop a network between Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and further to the regions of Southeast Asia.
Its development will enjoy three key benefits. Initially, it will fundamentally decrease the time and cost of moving products between South Asia and Europe through Central Asia. Furthermore, the new Trans-Afghan Railway, which gives entry to the three Pakistani seaports—Karachi Port, Port Qasim, and Gwadar Port—will drastically build the travel potential and load stream to Central Asia.
Thirdly, the drive will resuscitate the locale’s authentic jobs. As a feature of the vision, for more extensive local availability, Russian Railways has proposed to Uzbekistan to further collaborate in building a Russia-India transport passage through Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
The organization expected this drive to attract the Central Asian states towards specialized collaboration to commonly procure long-term rewards. Meetings between Uzbek transport specialists and the head of the Russian Railways underlined that this venture will lessen the time and cost of transportation of products from East and South Asia to Central Asia and Europe by 30%.
During the discussion, further advances were talked about to expand the utilization of the rail line passageways among Russia and Uzbekistan, by redesigning and upgrading the states of freight transportation. Uzbek authorities accepted that the new rail connection will essentially guarantee territorial security and dependability of the area.
They expect that a multiplier impact, including the improvement of the roadside system, and the production of conditions for the advancement of rich mineral assets along the railroad course, will help in the formation of thousands of jobs. A territorial agreement based on such acknowledgment will prove to be far more powerful than any political understanding or international arrangement.
Pakistan has several bilateral agreements with every one of the five republics in the area. They are intended to restore the historical, social, cultural, and economic relations among Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics (CARs). The trade visits of authorities altogether affect the relations and these visits should proceed.
The fundamental boundaries for a solid connection between Pakistan and CARs are shakiness in Afghanistan and after 9/11, the US battle against illegal intimidation. Focal Asian states cannot disregard Pakistan because of its geo-vital significance in the region. Pakistan is keen on investigating travel courses to Central Asia.
The most limited and least expensive course to get to the global business sectors is using Afghanistan, and Pakistan’s Gwadar and Karachi ports. China has accepted the accountability of creating Gwadar Port; it aims to foster an energy and shipping lane for the Central Asian Republics and the rest of the region.
After the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan’s leadership should cautiously configure its territorial strategy for Afghanistan’s stabilization and the safety of its political and monetary interests in Central Asia.
Conclusion
The Trans-Afghan Railway between Central Asia and South Asia sets out an exceptional opportunity for ensuring amicability and security in Afghanistan and creating countless new jobs—significant conditions for development and the extraction of minerals (copper, tin, zinc, iron, marble, stone, and travertine, etc.).
The resultant monetary benefits will entice players in the Afghan conflict and external powers to work for a quiet repayment and early change of the situation in the war-torn country. Furthermore, with money-related advantages, many will comprehend that trading is significantly more gainful than fighting. A neighborhood understanding dependent on such affirmation will prove to be far more effective than any political plan or global course of action.
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