Pakistan invites Kazakh investment in Gwadar, Karachi port projects

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Wednesday invited investors from Kazakhstan to explore joint ventures at Pakistani ports, including investment opportunities in Gwadar’s free zones, as Islamabad seeks to expand regional trade connectivity.

The minister extended the invitation during a meeting with an 11-member Kazakh delegation led by Timur Turlov, chief executive officer of Freedom Holding Corp.

Both sides discussed potential cooperation in transshipment operations, off-dock and multipurpose terminals, as well as dry-dock and floating-dock facilities at Pakistani ports.

Junaid Chaudhry highlighted the strategic importance of Karachi and Gwadar in regional trade and said Pakistan’s maritime infrastructure offered significant opportunities for international investors.

He also invited Freedom Holding Corp to participate in Pakistan’s blue economy initiatives, stressing that Pakistani ports could serve as gateways for Kazakhstan and other landlocked Central Asian countries to markets in the Gulf, Africa and Southeast Asia.

The discussions also covered possible cooperation in road, rail and air connectivity between Pakistan and Central Asian states, particularly Kazakhstan, to strengthen regional trade integration.

The Kazakh delegation expressed interest in investing in Pakistan’s maritime sector, while Timur Turlov reiterated his company’s interest in exploring long-term investments aligned with Pakistan’s economic development priorities.

Officials said the meeting reflected growing engagement between Pakistan and Central Asian investors in maritime and logistics-related sectors.