DUSHANBE, January 11, 2016, Asia-Plus — Federal Minister for Water and Power of Pakistan Khawaja Muhammad Asif is expected to arrive in Dushanbe today on a two-day working visit, a source in the Tajik government told Asia-Plus in an interview.
According to him, the main purpose of the visit is for the Pakistani minister to participate in a meeting of Tajikistan-Pakistan joint working group on energy and infrastructure.
While in Dushanbe, Mr. Khawaja Muhammad Asif is scheduled to hold talks with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, the source said, noting that Pakistani delegation is also expected to visit the Norak hydroelectric power plant (HPP).
The meeting of the joint working group will end with signing of a protocol, the source said.
We will recall that Tajik President Emomali Rahmon met here with the Federal Minister of Water and Power of Pakistan, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, on July 22, 2014. The two sides discussed issues related to bilateral cooperation between Tajikistan and Pakistan in the field of energy and a special attention was paid to the Central Asia South Asia Electricity Transmission and Trade Project (CASA 1000).
Khawaja Muhammad Asif is a Pakistani parliamentarian, banker and a politician affiliated with Pakistan Muslim League (N) who currently serves as the Federal Minister for Water and Power and also maintains the additional charge as the Defense Minister of Pakistan. He also had a short-tenure in the Petroleum ministry in the Gillani cabinet.
