Afghanistan losing interest in trade links with Pakistan

[HAIDER]

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.

Majority of Pashtun live along Pakistan border and they have much better road network then nay place else...so they are not going anywhere. Afghanistan still a top market for Pakistani goods.

 

[SrNair]

lol....you didn't understand my post, read again carefully, specially the bold part.
I did not advocate invading 'foreign' land, I only said that you shouldn't forget history, 'cause those who ignore and forget their own past are bound to repeat the same mistake that they have committed in the past.

Mauryan empire was extended from Assam to Iran and Kanyakumari to Tajikistan .But can we claim all those lands in the name of past ?
We wont take a single land from foreigners nor we gives a single inch of our own soil to foreigners .

 

[oFFbEAT]

Mauryan empire was extended from Assam to Iran and Kanyakumari to Tajikistan .But can we claim all those lands in the name of past ?
We wont take a single land from foreigners........

aarey yaar, you're an experienced member, why don't you read and understand what I posted and then reply.....
When did I say that we need to reclaim our lost land?? I know that is not possible today!
I only said that we should not forget our past, so that we don't repeat the same mistake.....and this is the third time I'm saying it.

.........nor we gives a single inch of our own soil to foreigners .

Therein lies the problem, the contradiction which you're unable to understand.
The logic you're using to distinguish 'OUR' land from 'THEIRS' is flawed and contradictory, which I pointed in post #147(just below the bold part).
You disowned ancient Indian lands by saying that they were 'troubled' regions, by that same logic, some portion of modern India too is not Indian land since they are 'troubled' regions.....so you should disown those lands as well, why do you call those 'our own soil'??
See the contradiction??
That's why I said that we should remember History to avoid confusions and contradictions about what is our OWN and what not.

 

[Salik]

Btw i like the confidence of Afghanistan the way they are saying they're losing interest in trade with Pakistan.

:viking:

 

[Haryanajatt]

Jaanbaz bhai, excellent post

Though the indian hindu nationalist wants a genocide of Muslims in Pakistan.

But not the Afghan. They just want supremacy.

Hey afghan, why do so many Afghan and Pashtun women marry Arab males in the Middle East but Arab males never let Arab women date Pashtun males? I've never seen an Indian woman with a Arab male simply because we would literally break an Arabs face to shreds, my state Haryana usually goes against so many nations in international wrestling matches and I have to say Arabs are generally the least athletic people we fight, even a Jaat woman can beat them and you Pashtuns are their dogs.

 

[saiyan0321]

The very first post on this forum. Reported for abusive and racism.

 

[Haryanajatt]

The very first post on this forum. Reported for abusive and racism.

You must be a mad Pashtun or are you his Arab father? I a 6 ft 11 Jatt male will not let take anything from you fools.

 

[Zibago]

So why did their Generals issued apologies over blocking of trade links?

 

[TMA]

Hey afghan, why do so many Afghan and Pashtun women marry Arab males in the Middle East but Arab males never let Arab women date Pashtun males? I've never seen an Indian woman with a Arab male simply because we would literally break an Arabs face to shreds, my state Haryana usually goes against so many nations in international wrestling matches and I have to say Arabs are generally the least athletic people we fight, even a Jaat woman can beat them and you Pashtuns are their dogs.

How come you have Pakistani flags if you are from Bharat? Just curious, no offence intended.

 

[Cyberian]

Goodby Afghanistan.