Pakistan–Tajikistan relations are the foreign relations between
Pakistan and
Tajikistan.
The two countries are only apart at their closest point. The
Wakhan Corridor is a narrow strip of territory in northeastern
Afghanistan that extends to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and separates Tajikistan from Pakistan.
[Mughal, M. A. Z. (2013). "Pamir Alpine Desert and Tundra." In: Biomes & Ecosystems, vol. 1, pp. 978-980. Robert Warren Howarth (ed.). Ipswich, MA: Salem Press.]
Country comparison
History of relations
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.
In March 2008 Said Saidbaig, the Tajik Ambassador, announced that his country would be able to export cheap electricity to Pakistan and
Iran.
In 2019, Pakistan announced visa-on-arrival facilities for
Tajik passport
Tajik passports ( tg, Тоҷик Шиноснома, ''Toçik Şinosnoma'') are issued to citizens of the Republic of Tajikistan to enable them to travel outside the country. It is the international proof of identity of any Tajik citizen.
Biomet ...
holders.
Tajiks in Pakistan
There are at least 1.2 million
Tajiks living in Pakistan. 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
The Ishkoman ( ur, ) valley lies in the north of Ghizer District in Gilgit-Baltistan
Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the n ...
. In 1979, with the invasion by the
Soviet Union of
Afghanistan, a large number of
Tajik
Tajik, Tadjik, Tadzhik or Tajikistani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Tajikistan
* Tajiks, an ethnic group in Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan
* Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan
* Tajik (surname)
* Tajik cu ...
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
Gilgit
Gilgit (; Shina: ; ur, ) is the capital city of Gilgit–Baltistan, Pakistan. The city is located in a broad valley near the confluence of the Gilgit River and the Hunza River. It is a major tourist destination in Pakistan, serving as a h ...
i in official census figures. There also large number of Tajiks from Afghanistan that have settled in Pakistan permanently. Many Tajik refugees from Tajikistan lived in Pakistan and some of them returned to Tajikistan.
Strategic commitments
In November 2015, a meeting was 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
Chitral ( khw, , lit=field, translit=ćhitrār; ur, , translit=ćitrāl) is situated on the Chitral River in northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It serves as the capital of the Chitral District and before that as the capital of Chitral ...
-
Ishkashim-
Dushanbe. In June 2021, President of Tajikistan visited Pakistan on the request of Pakistan's Prime Minister and both countries signed memorandums of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in various sectors, including the sale of Pakistan-manufactured arms to Tajikistan.
On September 17, 2021
Prime Minister of Pakistan,
Imran Khan, announced that Pakistan will upgrade the bilateral relations to the level of a long-term strategic partnership.
In this regard, the two leaders further agreed to work towards signing of a Strategic Partnership Agreement. The leaders accorded particular focus on further strengthening of reliable and constructive high-level contacts, inter-parliamentary ties, defence and security relations between the two countries.
The two leaders underscored the importance of expansion of mutually beneficial economic and trade cooperation, improvement of investment and trade environment between the two countries.
See also
*
Foreign relations of Pakistan
*
Tajiks in Pakistan
Tajiks in Pakistan are residents of Pakistan who are of Tajik ancestry. The Tajiks are a Persian-speaking Iranian ethnic group native to Central Asia, living primarily in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
There are also Afghan Tajiks refu ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pakistan-Tajikistan relations
Tajikistan
Bilateral relations of Tajikistan