Recent contacts between Islamabad and Kabul indicate that Afghanistan is unlikely to insist on inclusion of India in a transit trade agreement originally envisaged between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, well informed sources told Business Recorder.
In 2002, Pakistan proposed a Trilateral Transit Trade Agreement among Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan on the pattern of already signed Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) in 2010.
In this regard, first expert level group meeting on the proposed trilateral transit trade agreement was held in January 3, 2015 in Islamabad and the draft was shared with the other two trading partners for their views and comments. Second meeting of the expert level group was held on April 9-10, 2015 in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) wherein it was decided that the third meeting of the group will be held in Kabul in November 2015. However, the meeting could not be held because the Afghan government sent the draft of the agreement to National Security Advisor for prior approval who proposed inclusion of India in the transit trade agreement which implies that the agreement should be Quadrilateral instead of Trilateral.
Afghanistan had also conveyed this message to the Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir during his visit last year. Pakistan, however, made it clear that this new condition from Afghanistan was not acceptable to Islamabad. Since then, there was no further discussion on the proposed agreement.
"The third meeting could not be convened as per scheduled because Afghanistan proposed major amendments in the draft. Afghanistan official conveyed to include Indian in the agreement. Afghanistan further wanted market access to Indian and SAARC countries through Wagha border and to open Wagha border for Indian goods to reach Afghanistan," the sources continued.
The sources said, at a recent meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Co-ordination Authority (APTTCA) both sides highlighted the significance of bilateral trade and transit trade and reiterated resolve of the leadership of the two countries to enhance bilateral trade to $5 billion and to further facilitate the transit trade.
Both countries have also agreed that in accordance with Article 50 of APTTA, the provisions of the present agreement will be revised and amended appropriately with a view to further facilitating the transit trade. Both sides agreed in principle that the provisions of TIR Convention - to which both Pakistan and Afghanistan are signatories - will be adopted in APTTA to the extent possible. In this connection Afghanistan will share a draft text of amended APTTA with Pakistan by 15thMarch, 2016. The draft amendments will be deliberated in the 7th APTTCA Meeting to be hosted by Afghanistan in the last week of March, 2016.
Hazrat Omer Zakhiwal, Afghan ambassador to Pakistan/ Afghan President's special envoy met with Commerce Minister during first week of March and discussed matters of mutual interest.
According to sources, Zakhiwal stated that he will use all his abilities to change current environment of mistrust, "My aim is to use this opportunity to play my role to change the current environment of mistrust between the two brotherly neighbours so that both countries are on a path that will lead to a state of full mutual trust , constructive engagement, frank and sincere dialogue and ultimately a special relationship".
Zakhiwal who sources claim spends half of the week in Kabul is confident that bringing both sides close is a challenging job but he is committed to it.
The sources said bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan which was $2.28 billion in 2014-15 has massively declined because of the decline in numbers of Nato and ISAF forces.
Commerce Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir recently told standing committee on commerce that another option is to reach Central Asia through Karakorum Highway. In this regard, Pakistan can take advantage of the already signed Quadrilateral Agreement among Pakistan, China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan by taking into account the completion of Pak-China Economic Corridor in the near future.
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