1. Country Comparison

2. History

3. Diplomatic relations
     Pakistan–Tajikistan Bilateral Political Consultations  

4. Economic Relations
     Business    Pak-Tajik Joint Business Council    Investment & Trade  

5. Energy Relations
     Power    Central Asia-South Asia Power Project (CASA-1000)    Rogun Dam  

6. Security Relations
     Quadrilateral Counter Terrorism Coordination (QCTC)    Intelligence  

7. Tajiks in Pakistan

8. Strategic commitments

9. Tourism

10. See also

11. References

Pakistan–Tajikistan relations are the foreign relations between Pakistan and Tajikistan.

The two countries are only {{convert|10|mi|order=flip}} apart at their closest point. The Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of territory in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from Pakistan.^[4]

Country Comparison

History

Pakistan and Tajikistan share many historical, religious, and cultural linkages. During the 8th century, the land mass of what is today Pakistan and Tajikistan existed within the same entity under the Umayyad Caliphate with its capital in Damascus. Tajikistan later came under the rule of the Persian Samanid dynasty, which also extended to parts of contemporary Pakistan. Pre-independent India was also heavily influenced by Arab-Persian culture. Persian was the official language of the Mughal Empire.^[11]

Relations between the two states were established when the republic of Tajikistan became independent following the collapse of the USSR. Trade and cooperation has steadily grown between the two nations, with several summits being held on how to improve bilateral trade.^[12][13]

In March 2008 Said Saidbaig, the Tajik Ambassador, announced that his country would be able to export cheap electricity to Pakistan and Iran.^[14]

Relations date back when both nations were part of the Persian Empire and the countries have the same cultural traditions in common especially because of deep Turanian and Persian influences in the two countries.

Diplomatic relations

Pakistan and Tajikistan share common membership in various multilateral organizations. As Muslim majority countries, both are part of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is a core element of Pakistan's foreign policy to develop fraternal bonds with Muslim countries. The two countries are also members of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), as well as the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process. Such shared groupings between Pakistan and Tajikistan allow numerous opportunities for interaction to take place between the leaders, delegates, and diplomats of both countries on the sidelines of various summits. This is thus a contributory factor to the cordial relations between Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Pakistan and Tajikistan are also soon to be part of another agreement known as the Quadrilateral Transit Traffic Agreement (QTTA), the current signatories of which are Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. During the March 2017 ECO Summit in Islamabad, then-Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held talks with Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon on the sidelines of the Summit and reaffirmed Pakistan's support for the in-principle approval of Tajikistan's accession to the QTTA. Perhaps the QTTA will soon have to be renamed as it would no longer be "Quadrilateral" but rather a "Pentalateral" agreement.

Pakistan–Tajikistan Bilateral Political Consultations

The Pakistan–Tajikistan Bilateral Political Consultations is a forum where the two sides reviewe their bilateral relations and examined the prospects of cooperation in areas of trade, economy, investment, culture, education, science & technology, defence, parliamentary exchanges, humanitarian issues and people-to-people contacts.^[15]

The 4th Pakistan–Tajikistan Bilateral Political Consultations (BPC) between Pakistan and Tajikistan was held in Islamabad, where the two sides reviewed their bilateral relations and examined the prospects of cooperation in areas of trade, economy, investment, culture, education, science & technology, defence, parliamentary exchanges, humanitarian issues and people-to-people contacts.

Economic Relations

In the context of Pakistan-Tajikistan trade and economic relations, more than 50 agricultural and infrastructure projects having cost of $700 million are under construction. An inter-governmental Joint Economic Commission (JEC) is also functioning to strengthen political, economic, cultural and technical cooperation between the two countries. The volume of bilateral trade has also increased in last decade and had steadily risen to US$15 million in 2011 to US$89 million in 2014. The target of US$500 million had been set to be achieved in the next few years. The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Gwadar Port would connect Pakistan to Tajikistan through Gwadar-Peshawar-Kabul-Kunduz-Dushanbe route, Khunjrab-Kulma-Murghab route and Chitral-Ishkoshim-Dushanbe route. These routes would strengthen economic integration and connectivity of Pakistan with Tajikistan. In January 2015, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan signed a Trilateral Transit Trade Agreement (PATTTTA) to develop business opportunities by constructing rail and road links.^[16]

A Pakistani enterprise plans to establish first cement plant in Tajikistan as a joint venture project.

This was stated by Chairman Board of Investment (BoI), Saleem Mandviwalla, in his address to the Business Forum of entrepreneurs of Pakistan and Tajikistan.^[17]

Business

Tajikistan has expressed interest in importing about 100,000 tons of wheat, 5,000 tons of rice, 5,000 tons of corn and banola oil as well as fertiliser, which will not only meet its domestic requirements, but will also enhance bilateral trade.^[18]

Pak-Tajik Joint Business Council

The Joint Business Council will consider steps to enhance bilateral trade and commercial ties between the two countries.

Investment & Trade

Tajikistan has become a popular business destination for Pakistani entrepreneurs who have invested more than $14 million in Tajikistan since 2007–2014. Around 40 Pakistani companies are registered in Tajikistan who are contributing their expertise in some niche sectors such as agriculture and textile.^[19]

Energy Relations

In 2008, both the countries had signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement for co-operation in energy field.

Pakistan has large opportunities to co-operate with Tajikistan which is the third-largest producer of hydroelectricity in the world. Therefore, both the countries have agreed to work rapidly for the implementation of many energy project to fulfil Pakistan's growing energy needs and expressed hope that the project would be completed by 2018.

As Tajikistan is rich in natural resources, having 40 kinds of metals for extraction, both the countries have also agreed to cooperate in fields of explorations, extraction and processing of gas and oil products.

Power

Central Asia-South Asia Power Project (CASA-1000)

The Central Asia-South Asia power project, commonly known by the acronym CASA-1000, is a $1.16 billion project currently under construction that will allow for the export of surplus hydroelectricity from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan and Afghanistan.^[20] Groundbreaking for the project took place on May 12, 2016 in Tajikistan in a ceremony attended by the Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Pakistani Prime Ministers,^[21] and is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.^[21] The project initially also included transfer of electricity to Afghanistan, however the country abandoned its share of electricity due to dearth of demand, hence Pakistan will receive 1,300 megawatts of electricity.^[22][23]

December 5, 2018 Pakistan decided to export one thousand megawatts of electricity to Tajikistan in winter season through CASA-1000 project as in the power purchase agreement (PPA), a reverse flow of electricity clause was included.^[24]

Rogun Dam

In November 16, 2018 Tajikistan inaugurates a $3.9 billion hydro-electric power plant, a mega project that will enable the impoverished country to eliminate domestic energy shortages and export electricity to Afghanistan and Pakistan.^[25]

Security Relations

Pakistan and Tajikistan have government-to-government agreement on setting up a joint working group on the issues of combating international terrorism.^[26]

Quadrilateral Counter Terrorism Coordination (QCTC)

The QCTC was established in August 2016 in Ürümqi, China by four countries including China, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, to coordinate and support each other in areas of counter terrorism, intelligence sharing, anti-terrorist capacity building, joint anti-terrorist training and personnel training.^[27]

Intelligence

Pakistan has allocated funds for technical equipment and training of Tajikistan's principal national security and intelligence agency the State Committee for National Security (SCNS).^[28]

February 04, 2015 The Deputy Chairman of Tajikistan State Committee for National Security, Mansur Umarov, told Parliament that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency has handed over an alleged leader of a banned Islamic group Jamaat Ansarullah, Kamariddin Ahrorov, a Tajik national and his four associates to Tajikistan.

Jamaat Ansarullah is a militant group considered to be Tajikistan's branch of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Umarov did not specify the date of the transfer. He claimed members of the group were planning terrorist attacks in Tajikistan's territory.^[29]

Tajiks in Pakistan

There are at least 1.2 million Tajiks living in Pakistan.{{Citation needed|date=November 2013}} In recent years, many Tajiks from Tajikistan have settled in Pakistan due to the economic conditions prevalent in their home country, many have settled in the northern city of Ishkuman. In 1979, with the invasion by the Soviet Union of Afghanistan, a large number of Tajik refugees from that country came and settled throughout Pakistan. Exact numbers are difficult to ascertain as many don't have official identity cards or are counted as being Chitrali or Gilgiti in official census figures.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} There also large number of Tajiks from Afghanistan that have settled in Pakistan permanently.{{cn|date=September 2013}} Many Tajik refugees from Tajikistan lived in Pakistan and some of them returned to Tajikistan.^[30]

Strategic commitments

In a meeting held at Governor house Islamabad, the Tajik President and Pakistani Prime Minister affirmed plans to connect Pakistan and Tajikistan through road networks, such as from Chitral-Ishkoshim-Dushanbe.^[31]

Tourism

Pakistan and Tajikistan had signed an agreement in 2004 on tourism, which was enforced in 2008. In 2018 Deputy Chairman Shirin Amonzoda of Tajikistan Committee on the Tourism Development, said Tajikistan wants more tourists from Pakistan and desired to sign a new agreement keeping in view the fresh incentives.^[32]

See also

• Foreign relations of Pakistan
• Tajiks in Pakistan
• Wakhan Corridor

References

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