Pakistan-Russia Railway Network Strategic Roadmap Drafted – Pakistan

Pakistan has decided to tie up with Russia and outline a strategic roadmap to connect the two countries through a railway network and secure trade routes to avoid the threat of US sanctions.

According to the Express Tribune report, the government of Pakistan is developing a three-pronged strategy that includes government-to-government (G-to-G) framework and projects, business-to-business (B-to-B) cooperation to promote trade and investment. and include mechanisms to ensure safe trade. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has approved this proposal.

The State Bank of Pakistan, on the other hand, has warned that doing business with Russian entities, which are already under sanctions, could pose challenges. However, he highlighted that other countries such as Turkey are transacting with Russia in local currencies.

During a recent meeting at the Planning Commission, the Ministry of External Affairs officials stressed the need for a workable strategy that could soon be adopted by a high-powered delegation visiting Russia.

On this occasion, the Railways Secretary outlined three important railway routes to develop links with Russia and Central Asian states.

These include upgrading the Quetta-Taftan rail network as a Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed in June 2024. Under the second route, the Kohat-Kharlachi rail network will connect Central Asian countries via Afghanistan after a full feasibility study.

For the third route, the Minilak Express will connect Rekodik to Gwadar to access the markets of Azerbaijan and Russia. It is a direct and reliable route to the Arabian Sea, which significantly reduces the cost of transporting minerals.