Pakistan Businessmen & Intellectuals Forum's (PBIF) president Mian Zahid Hussain has suggested that Pakistan and Afghanistan should help resolve their issues pertaining to insurance mechanism, banking channels, payments and documentation, amicably. In a statement, the PBIF's chief said that at a time when both the countries have decided to boost trade to $5 billion by 2017, need of the hour is that there should be cordial relations between the two neighbouring countries.
"Afghan economy is highly dependent on Pakistan and hence the policy-makers in Kabul should not dance to the tune of India," he said, adding that Afghan government should avoid issuing provocative statements against Pakistan at the behest of India. Voicing his concern over Afghanistan's decision of denying land route to Pakistan, Mian Zahid said that the move could cast negative shadow on exports and plans to import gas and electricity from Central Asia through CASA 1000, but there are other dimensions to the problems which Kabul cannot afford.
He said that Afghanistan was already facing trouble as reduction in Nato forces has condensed international aid and as such it should desist from opening another front with Pakistan on which it relied heavily. He hoped that both the countries would also help resolve the issues relating to refugees, smuggling of narcotics, arms and ammunition, militancy and differences over counter insurgency operations.