Afghanistan losing interest in trade links with Pakistan

[Devil Soul]

Afghanistan losing interest in trade links with Pakistan
By Peer Muhammad
Published: April 21, 2016
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Afghanistan’s disinterest means that Pakistan has potentially lost a great opportunity to build strategic trade ties with regional economies. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Afghan authorities appear to have lost interest in pushing forward any trade related agreements with Pakistan with the alternative route via Iran close to being finalised.

Last week, on April 11, Iran, Afghanistan and India finished negotiating the details of the trilateral transport and transit pact, meant to provide legal framework to operate trade corridors via Iran’s Chabahar port.

India-Afghanistan trade through Pakistan

This development could possibly downgrade Pakistan’s importance from being the primary facilitator of India-Afghanistan trade to a mere back-up. This means that Pakistan has potentially lost a great opportunity to build strategic trade ties with regional economies.

Officials in the Ministry of Commerce told The Express Tribune that Afghan authorities were slower in responding to the proposed bilateral and transit trade related matters and it seemed that they were least interested towards Pakistan and would rather devote their time and energy towards materialising the trilateral agreement with Iran and India.

“All this happened because Pakistan refused to include India in the Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement,” noted the official.

Afghanistan insists that India must be part of the transit trade agreement in the same way as Pakistan uses Afghan soil to reach Central Asian states.

Afghanistan, Pakistan open key economic, trade talks

The officer cited a draft agreement pertaining to the Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) that the ministry had sent months ago. He insisted that there has been no response from the other side.

“We have learnt that they have shared the draft agreement with their security agencies for clearance, which is surprising for us,” said the official.

Moreover, the maiden meeting of the Pak-Afghan Joint Business Council (JBC) has not been held even after its establishment around five months ago to discuss issues and to devise strategies for enhancing bilateral trade.

The JBC was supposed to hold its first meeting in February 2015, but it could not take place.

Pakistan, Afghanistan to resolve visa, road permit issues

“We have again asked the Pakistan Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) to set another date in this regard. However, the ministry has not received any response from FPCCI. The members of the JBC have already been notified from each side.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21st, 2016.

 

[A-Team]

- I would say lose-lose situation
- Instead of the region utilizing all the routes to do commerce, we are still stuck in da 70s mentality.
- China and India have differences but they still do business.

PS : no trolling here please.


http://tribune.com.pk/story/1088955...losing-interest-in-trade-links-with-pakistan/

 

[DESERT FIGHTER]

The 80% that comes legally or the illegal/smuggling thing? Or do they plan to stop using Pak currency too?

 

[Ankit Kumar 002]

Education , Medical facilities and Trade&,Commerce are the things which can rebuild Afghanistan.

And India's policy towards Afghan is centred upon them.

Our investments in Iran should give Afghanistan a alternative.

And our government will continue to support education and medicals for afghans in Afghanistan and India too.

 

[shah1398]

And for that to happen they wud be waiting for how many years for Chahbahar to come online? Guess what wud they do till then? What if there are another set of sanctions on Iran?

 

[pakistani342]

- I would say lose-lose situation
- Instead of the region utilizing all the routes to do commerce, we are still stuck in da 70s mentality.
- China and India have differences but they still do business.

PS : no trolling here please.


http://tribune.com.pk/story/1088955...losing-interest-in-trade-links-with-pakistan/

Pakistan can thrive without Afghanistan:
a. Just imagine if the flow of drugs shifts from Pakistan to Iran because the logistics, people-to-people ties are greater there.
b. Just imagine if Pakistan can expel the Afghan refugees
c. It may just remove the straw that might break Pakistan's back.

If you compare the past 5 to the previous past 5 years:
1. The trend is arguable positive in Pakistan -- security has had a marked improvement
2. The trend is without a doubt negative for Afghanistan -- people now talk to state collapse

Correlation is not causality however one cannot ignore that the trends in Pakistan and Afghanistan [as long as they are hostile to each other] are inversely correlated.

Go ahead and prosper work with Iran -- hope you get a better deal -- but please get out of Pakistan. I think that is more than an equitable swap.

 

[Manidabest]

well i think Afghans are and will remain close to India as long as the money is flowing in and non majorities remain in power in Kabul that means one Pushtoon encircled by Farsiwans is bad for Pakistan ... 2ndly Indians and Afghans see the history from the time when Taliban came in to power whereas it starts from way before that. 1st of all Afghans and Indians never accepted Pakistan as a country in their hearts and minds. They dreamed and believed to destroy and occupy Pakistani territories and still the situation is same. Pakistan have played soo much positive roles in uniting Afghans but the Afghan politics is heavily divided on ethnic & sectarian lines. But I think the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan should evolve put their modern history in behind and concentrate to build strong relations. its natural and the need of an hour for both countries to have good and strong relations either united or as two brother neighbours but relations with india is unnatural at the moment ... simple its not trolling this is my take on the issue ..

 

[A-Team]

Pakistan can thrive without Afghanistan:
a. Just imagine if the flow of drugs shifts from Pakistan to Iran because the logistics, people-to-people ties are greater there.
b. Just imagine if Pakistan can expel the Afghan refugees
c. It may just remove the straw that might break Pakistan's back.

If you compare the past 5 to the previous past 5 years:
1. The trend is arguable positive in Pakistan -- security has had a marked improvement
2. The trend is without a doubt negative for Afghanistan -- people now talk to state collapse

Correlation is not causality however one cannot ignore that the trends in Pakistan and Afghanistan [as long as they are hostile to each other] are inversely correlated.

Go ahead and prosper work with Iran -- hope you get a better deal -- but please get out of Pakistan. I think that is more than an equitable swap.

Why do you have to always spin stuff into a zero sum game, Pakistan is earning a couple billions in relation to the Afghan commerce, those may sound small to you but still its commerce.

I am referring to the fact that our region should utilize all the routes for commerce, not Either Or situation.

I hope that Afghans return back to Afghanistan, sooner rather than later to rebuilt their country.

PS : You also need to take chill pill, stop responding emotional, look at the bigger picture. Seems you are a person with higher IQ but very low EQ.

well i think Afghans are and will remain close to India as long as the money is flowing in and non majorities remain in power in Kabul that means one Pushtoon encircled by Farsiwans is bad for Pakistan ... 2ndly Indians and Afghans see the history from the time when Taliban came in to power whereas it starts from way before that. 1st of all Afghans and Indians never accepted Pakistan as a country in their hearts and minds. They dreamed and believed to destroy and occupy Pakistani territories and still the situation is same. Pakistan have played soo much positive roles in uniting Afghans but the Afghan politics is heavily divided on ethnic & sectarian lines. But I think the relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan should evolve put their modern history in behind and concentrate to build strong relations. its natural and the need of an hour for both countries to have good and strong relations either united or as two brother neighbours but relations with india is unnatural at the moment ... simple its not trolling this is my take on the issue ..

I stopped reading reading your post after the first line, looks more gibberish than rational arguments to me.

/Peace

 

[I.R.A]

Pakistan can thrive without Afghanistan:
a. Just imagine if the flow of drugs shifts from Pakistan to Iran because the logistics, people-to-people ties are greater there.
b. Just imagine if Pakistan can expel the Afghan refugees
c. It may just remove the straw that might break Pakistan's back.

If you compare the past 5 to the previous past 5 years:
1. The trend is arguable positive in Pakistan -- security has had a marked improvement
2. The trend is without a doubt negative for Afghanistan -- people now talk to state collapse

Correlation is not causality however one cannot ignore that the trends in Pakistan and Afghanistan [as long as they are hostile to each other] are inversely correlated.

Go ahead and prosper work with Iran -- hope you get a better deal -- but please get out of Pakistan. I think that is more than an equitable swap.

Couple all that with uncertainty about who is the real ruler of Afghanistan ......................... why would someone wish to grow links with someone who may not be there tomorrow.

 

[!eon]

Pakistani markets are full of illegal goods coming back from Afghanistan.
Transit Trade is least to scold here because it's the govt which is corrupt and beneficiaries are border guards to PM.

One big example is kidnapping of son of Yusuf Raza Gillani. Who collected money but had to leave office and couldn't appoint the wishful man on post in Khyber, which resulted in abduction of former prince.

 

[Manidabest]

Why do you have to always spin stuff into a zero sum game, Pakistan is earning a couple billions in relation to the Afghan commerce, those may sound small to you but still its commerce.

I am referring to the fact that our region should utilize all the routes for commerce, not Either Or situation.

I hope that Afghans return back to Afghanistan, sooner rather than later to rebuilt their country.

PS : You also need to take chill pill, stop responding emotional, look at the bigger picture. Seems you are a person with higher IQ but very low EQ.



I stopped reading reading your post after the first line, looks more gibberish than rational arguments to me.

/Peace

but that is the truth and my best friend is from Afghanistan

 

[A-Team]

Couple all that with uncertainty about who is the real ruler of Afghanistan ......................... why would someone wish to grow links with someone who may not be there tomorrow.

Can you elaborate more on this? I sense a condescending tone here, this coming from a senior member of PDF.

If you meant to be condescending than continue with that and Iran and others will divert whatver
egress/ingress business Afghanistan has with the outside world. Business savvy people don't take a moral higher ground, they make business and in this Iran is doing exactly. While you can continue dreaming for the so called Real Rulers

but that is the truth and my best friend is from Afghanistan

Ok you win

 

[Max]

@A-Team Pakistan's growth rate are highest after 2007, so its good for Pakistan that Afghan are loosing interest.

As trade is decreasing, we must build a fence along Pak Afghan border. if govt dont give money then Army should ask public for donations. Otherwise Afghan will keep blaming us for their miseries and we will keep facing terrorism from BLa, TTP.

 

[Manidabest]

brother its not about winning ... its about promoting and achieving good strong and solid relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan.. at the end of the day if you see in last 2000 yrs we have been together for 1800yrs and just 200yrs cant erase our 1800yrs of bond and it shouldnt be ... and when i say my best friend is from Afghanistan then that i mean it.. and i know many more Afghans who love Pakistan and consider it home ...

 

[A-Team]

@A-Team Pakistan's growth rate are highest after 2007, so its good for Pakistan that Afghan are loosing interest.

As trade is decreasing, we must build a fence along Pak Afghan border. if govt dont give money then Army should ask public for donations. Otherwise Afghan will keep blaming us for their miseries and we will keep facing terrorism from BLa, TTP.

Hope the decision makers at the top are more saner continue building fences, continue being a security state, continue creating more Nukes, while the rest of the neighbours steal your business from you. Smart thinking no ?