Pakistan’s Central Asia outreach enters a new phase as Kazakh, Uzbek presidents arrive next week

2026-01-27 - 23:21

The forthcoming visits of Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-JomartTokayev and Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in the first week of February mark a defining moment in Islamabad’s deepening engagement with Central Asia. Arriving in quick succession, the two high-profile visits signal a shared determination to elevate relations from political goodwill to concrete economic cooperation, connectivity, and long-term strategic partnership. During their respective stays, both leaders will hold one-on-one as well as delegation-level meetings with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. They are also scheduled to call on President Asif Ali Zardari and meet Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal AsimMunir. The breadth of these engagements underlines Pakistan’s intent to pursue a comprehensive relationship with Central Asian states, encompassing political dialogue, economic collaboration, and regional security considerations. President Tokayev’s visit (February 1-3) comes at a time when Pakistan and Kazakhstan are recalibrating their bilateral ties with a sharper economic focus. A senior official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming the visit said during the high profile visits, several important agreements are expected to be signed, and trade and investment deals finalized, aimed at delivering mutual benefits to the peoples of both countries. Despite cordial political relations spanning decades, trade volumes have remained modest, prompting both sides to explore new avenues for growth through improved connectivity, energy cooperation, and private-sector partnerships, he said.