By Zahid Karani
KARACHI: A high-level delegation from Uzbekistan visited the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) in Karachi on Wednesday, in a renewed push to expand bilateral trade in leather and livestock-linked industries, as both sides explored ways to deepen commercial cooperation between the two countries.
The delegation was led by the Governor of Navoiy Region, Uzbekistan, Normat Tursunov, and accompanied by the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Pakistan, Alisher Tukhtaev. They were received by senior representatives of the PTA, including Chairman PTA-Central Hamid Zahur and Chairman PTA-South Zone Dr Danish Aman, along with other members of the association.
The meeting focused on identifying practical avenues for trade expansion, particularly in the leather sector, which Pakistani stakeholders described as having significant untapped export potential. Zahur said Pakistan’s tanning industry could benefit directly from Uzbekistan’s livestock resources, while simultaneously expanding exports of value-added leather goods such as garments, footwear, handbags and gloves into Central Asian markets.
Governor Tursunov briefed participants on investment and business opportunities in the Navoiy Region, highlighting its livestock capacity as a key advantage for cooperation in raw material supply chains. He encouraged Pakistani businesses to explore partnerships that could strengthen industrial linkages between the two sides.
Ambassador Tukhtaev pointed to growing connectivity between the two countries, noting that six weekly flights currently operated between Lahore and Islamabad and Tashkent. He added that efforts were underway to introduce two weekly flights from Karachi to Tashkent in 2026, a development he said would significantly improve both trade logistics and people-to-people contact.
