Iran, Pakistan agree on coordinated mechanism to boost rail, trade links
Iran and Pakistan agreed on Thursday to set up a coordinated mechanism to advance bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors, including rail transport and trade, during a meeting in Islamabad.
Iranian Roads and Urban Development Minister Farzaneh Sadeq, who was in the Pakistani capital to attend the regional transport conference, met with Pakistan’s ministers of commerce, communications, and railways — Jam Kamal Khan, Abdul Aleem Khan, and Hanif Abbasi, respectively — to call for the implementation of bilateral agreements across all areas of cooperation.
A statement from Pakistan’s railway ministry said the two countries agreed to develop an action plan to expand rail connectivity.
Both sides also confirmed plans to modernize the Quetta–Taftan railway line in 2026 and pledged to enhance commercial and passenger rail services.
Officials announced that the 6,540-km Istanbul–Tehran–Islamabad (ITI) rail corridor will resume container train operations starting in December.
Referring to the 22nd session of the Iran-Pakistan Joint Economic Commission held in Tehran last month, Sadeq emphasized the need to implement bilateral agreements to expand cooperation.
She also said, “Iran and Pakistan’s corridor capacities offer ideal opportunities to leverage these routes for connecting China to Europe.”
The regional transport conference, which opened Wednesday with participation from 11 countries including Iran, concluded on Thursday in Islamabad, focusing on strengthening regional trade and transport links.