https://arab.news/yf3ht
- Uzbekistan Airways flight departed Islamabad for Tashkent with 126 passengers Saturday afternoon
- Pakistan is also advancing plans for a railway link connecting Peshawar with Kabul and Tashkent
KARACHI: Pakistan on Saturday hosted the inaugural direct flight by Uzbekistan Airways between Islamabad and Tashkent, marking yet another step toward enhanced regional connectivity and deeper economic ties with Central Asia.
Pakistan has been pushing to forge stronger trade links with landlocked Central Asian nations by offering access to its Arabian Sea ports. While several regional states border Afghanistan, Uzbekistan is seen as a strategic gateway due to its central location in the region and its larger economy.
鈥淭he Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) proudly hosted the inaugural flight ceremony of Uzbekistan Airlines鈥� direct service from Islamabad to Tashkent (Flight HY466), marking a significant milestone in enhancing regional air connectivity and people-to-people ties between Pakistan and Central Asia,鈥� said a PAA statement.
The flight, carrying 126 passengers, departed Islamabad at 1:09鈥痯.m. on Saturday, following a festive check-in at Zone鈥�1 of the international airport adorned with balloons, the statement said.
It informed that ambassadors from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan attended the ceremony, joined by airport officials, tourism executives and Uzbekistan Airlines鈥� country manager.
Pakistan is also advancing plans for a railway link connecting Uzbekistan to Pakistan through Afghanistan. Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke with Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi and Uzbek officials about the proposed 573鈥慿m Uzbekistan鈥慉fghanistan鈥慞akistan (UAP) Railway Project.
The corridor aims to link Tashkent with Kabul and Peshawar, enhancing freight movement and reducing transit time by up to several days.
The overland route via Afghanistan connects Pakistan鈥檚 road and rail network through the mountainous frontier into Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia, offering an alternative to existing northbound trade routes.