Regional connectivity has evolved as a defining feature of modern economy in the 21st century. It is reflected in increasing demand for resources to be invested in linking communities, economies and countries through physical and virtual infrastructure. Opportunities like enhanced access to market, increased economic growth and productivity are associated with the regional connectivity. Keeping in view the ground realities and geo-strategic circumstances, different options of regional connectivity are available to the stakeholders. Likewise among other alternatives, Quadrilateral Traffic and Transit Agreement (QTTA) among Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan provide an effective connectivity network between Central Asia and Gowadar port of Pakistan in Arabian Sea under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The QTTA was signed on March 09, 1995 in Islamabad to facilitate transit traffic and trade among the member countries. The route followed under QTTA: Karachi-Rawalpindi-Hassan Abdal-Gilgit-Khunjrab (Pak/China Border)-Kashgar -Torugart (China/Kyrgyzstan Border)-Bishkek-Akjol-Kordai (Kyrgyzstan/ Kazakhstan Border)-Almaty (Kazakhstan) = Length – about 3710 Km The QTTA has been designed to give China and Central Asian Republics (CARs) an overland access to the Pakistani ports of Gowadar and Karachi in Balochistan. The landlocked CARs eye lucrative prospects of exports to South-East Asian and other markets in Africa and Australasia through the warm waters of Pakistani ports. The strategic importance of QTTA project was enhanced when Afghanistan insisted on Pakistan to include India in Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), a bilateral trade agreement. Pakistan’s access to Central Asia through Afghanistan was stipulated with the inclusion of India in APTTA. Such arrangement has not been acceptable to Pakistan due to continuous tensions with India. Therefore, QTTA affords Pakistan an alternative gateway to Central Asia by circumnavigating Afghanistan. The QTTA would use Karakoram Highway that connects northern Pakistan’s Gilgit-Biltistan area to Xinxiang Province in China which is linked with Central Asian states. In 2017, Tajikistan approached Pakistan to join QTTA that was supported. Pakistan and Tajikistan are separated by a narrow land strip of 13 KM of Wakhan Corridor in north-east of Afghanistan. Both countries share common membership in OIC, ECO, SCO, CAREC and Heart of Asia. Under CASA-1000, Pakistan will import 1300 MW hydroelectricity from Tajikistan. Pakistan also exports foodstuffs and animal products to Tajikistan and imports cotton and aluminum from it. Tajikistan inclusion in QTTA would boost regional connectivity and economic prosperity. Tajikistan would connect to deep seaport of Gowadar through three routes i.e. (i) Peshawar-Kabul-Dushanbe (ii) Gilgit-Chitral-Kashgar-Eshkhahim-Dushanbe (iii) Gilgit-Chitral-Kashgar-Erkeshtam-Dushanbe. Then in May this year, Uzbekistan has also sought support of Pakistan to get accession to QTTA that would enable Uzbekistan to carry out its trade operations in the Middle East market through Pakistani seaports. There is a potential for Pakistani pharmaceutical exports to Uzbekistan and import of oil, gas, minerals, cotton and cottonseeds from there. Pakistan is also keen in trade of leather, textile and agricultural products with Uzbekistan. In next 5-6 years, both countries have the potential to enhance bilateral trade up to US$ 1 billion. So, the induction of Uzbekistan in QTTA would a lucrative prospect. Pakistan has a key role to play in QTTA because of its geostrategic location with Bin Qasim and Gowadar ports that provide the shortest land route distance to maritime trade of Central Asian states. Hence the linking of QTTA with the infrastructure of US$ 62 billion CPEC project, would position Pakistan as global player in international trade. Movements of transit goods without duties between the member countries and with uniform custom procedures would certainly prosper regional trade in a great way. Since the peace and stability in Afghanistan is still uncertain despite the start of intra-Afghan power sharing negotiations under Doha Accord, the QTTA must be strengthened with the participation of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The connectivity of CPEC and QTTA would go a long way in realizing the dream of regional economic integration and sustainable growth. The writer is Country Manager of a Pakistani bank in Kazakhstan, with interest in Central Asian studies. He can be reached out at rafeeq_kz@yahoo.com.