Afghanistan has refused to hold 7th meeting of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Co-ordination Authority (APTTCA) until India is formally included, well-informed sources told Business Recorder. This has been conveyed by the Afghan government officially to Government of Pakistan through a high-ranking woman officer leading to the shelving of the proposed meetings of APTTCA and Joint Economic Commission (JEC). A JEC meeting was scheduled in September, the sources added.
Earlier, Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan had sought the consent of Islamabad to hold a meeting in August, after meeting with Afghan officials. However, subsequent to the US President Donald Trump's announcement of the new policy for South Asia with an expanded role for India, the Afghan government suddenly changed its tone and scrapped the proposed meeting. Analysts argue that Afghanistan has not yet made up its mind to start negotiations on Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), the draft of which is lying with the Afghan National Security Advisor for clearance for the last two years. Afghanistan's trade and security policies are massively influenced by New Delhi through its Advisors.
A source said Pakistani Ambassador who is in Islamabad for consultation with the Government of Pakistan post Donald Trump speech had claimed that he held very constructive meetings with Afghan Commerce Minister in which the Minister highlighted that Afghan-Pakistan trade has been affected due to unpredictability at Karachi port and on Chaman and Torkham borders due to which Afghan traders have been forced to develop other markets both for transit and bilateral trade including Iran, China and Tajikistan (Tajikistan is competing with cement exporters of Pakistan).
The Ambassador also quoted the Afghan Commerce Minister as emphasizing that the Afghan government wants separation of political and economic issues and that it is very keen that Pakistan allows them to trade with India through Wagha border. The Ambassador maintained that for understandable reasons if Afghanistan cannot trade with India through Wagha (which he has conveyed to Afghan Commerce Minister as it is an intricate issue) then Afghanistan is willing to proceed with Pakistan on a bilateral basis.
According to the Ambassador, he had shared a copy of Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) draft which was given to the Afghan side in the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meeting in November 2015 and the Afghan Minister agreed to study it and give his response in 'due course'. Pakistan's Ambassador also observed that unpredictability on borders had damaged traders' confidence, suggesting that this must be addressed forthwith through appropriate arrangements by the government of Pakistan. The sources said Pakistan's business community had pinned high hopes on APTTCA and JEC meetings for improved trade and economic relations with some businessmen, indicating a desire for back to back meetings on the sidelines of JEC meeting.
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