Quadrilateral agreement: China's cold response casts shadow over accord's future

Quadrilateral agreement signed by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan and China, seems to end in smoke as its fourth signatory has given zero importance to the accord, sources told Business Recorder here on Monday.
They stated due to less interest of the contracting countries the agreement already took more than eight years to come into force in May 2004, as it was signed by them on March 9, 1995 while a protocol on custom procedure for goods in transit and passport visa regime for the implementation of the agreement was signed on November 24, 1998.
They said a 20-member delegation led by Pakistani Ambassador based in Almaty, Kazakhstan , Irfanur Rehman Raja started its journey from Kazakhstan to Pakistan via China and Kyrgyzstan aimed at publicising the agreement, reached Pakistan on October 18 in a bid to inculcate awareness among business community of these states. The representatives of all the signing parties were supposed to join the delegation but China did not bother to designate a single official for the purpose.
They said the delegation comprising the representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and concerned ministries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan excluding China is presently visiting Pakistan which met Federal Minister for Communications Shamim Sadiqui and other high ups of the ministry including Additional Secretary Muhammad Abbas and Chairman National Highway Authority, (NHA) Major General Imtiaz Ahmad on Monday to take up all the issues being confronted by the four nations, which are the signatories of the quadrilateral agreement.
Sources stated that no meaningful progress had been witnessed on traffic in transit among the signatory countries since the implementation of the agreement. Pakistan bound traffic has been very low as only two trucks from Kyrgyzstan avail the facility in 2004, they maintained. They added Pakistan issued only 25 permits so far out of the quota of 200 permits in 2007. A Pakistani Company from Almaty transported goods in two vehicles registered in Kazakhstan in June 2007.
As per contract, Pakistan and Kazakhstan agreed to grant one year multiple visa to the driver and crew (2 members) of the vehicles in transit for six trips, China agreed to provide six months multiple entry visa and Kyrgyzstan to grant one month single entry and up to one year multiple entry visas.
Transit time allowed for movements of goods from entry to the exit point is 30 days each in Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, 180 days in China while 7 days in Kazakhstan, they informed.
Sources said Pakistan has taken a number of initiatives for the success of the agreement including up gradation of Kara Kurram Highway (KKH) for incoming traffic from member states. The project is likely to complete by 2010.