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Ghani warns to close transit route for Pakistan to Central Asia

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Realpolitik in play :)



Lots of negative emotions in ur post my friend, it's a tit for tat, no hard feelings ;)

States play such games in realpolitik, Pakistan already has a route to Central Asia via China , which
will be further improved with CPEC coming into full swing. Afghanistan's location doesn't give it option of
any other route to India. Closing off the central asian route would be welcomed by Pakistani people as we
prefer the one through China which is way more secure.
 
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Article here, excerpts below:

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The Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has warned to close transit route for Pakistan to Central Asian countries as the Wagah port has been closed for the Afghan traders for import and export.

President Ghani made the remarks during a meeting with the UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Owen Jenkins in Kabul.

He said Afghanistan is no more a landlocked country as several other options and transit routes are available for Afghanistan for the import and export of commodities of the Afghan traders.

President Ghani further added that Pakistan usually closes transit routes during the fruits season which incurs millions in dollars loses to the Afghan traders.


Let him.....

Than close all border crossings in retaliation...

And watch them starve to death
 
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He's not really on to anything. Also, cheap, viable, alternative routes for Afghanistan are still a decade away.

The last time Afghanistan tried to pull a similar stunt, Pakistan announced that it would be going forward with the Quadrilateral transit trade agreement (QTTA), Afghanistan quickly backed off, thereafter.

Now that the QTTA is seriously being considered, Afghanistan has little to bargain with.
 
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I know you're fan of Afghan Onion ;)


Afghan Onion‏@AfghanOnion
We welcome President Ghani's decision to block our access to Central Asia, our Taliban defense forces will respond in kind. --@AsimBajwaISPR

Yes ... if the Jurnails bring Afghan Onion from Afghanistan to Pakistan then I will lobby for them in Congress -- lol

Realpolitik in play :)

mmm, good question:
1. I think realpolitik is between two or more states (?) [someone in the know please chime in] -- at least I think that is how the term is understood in its common usage.
2. If that is true then no -- Pakistan provides access to Afghanistan to Karachi (and has provided for 70 years)
3. The loss to Pakistan of a transit route vis Afghanistan's loss of Pakistani ports is disproportionally painful for Afghanistan. So I con't think of any Realpolitik reason for doing so -- to placate India, possibly
4. But I do think it may be for domestic consumption -- Anything to prick Pakistan goes down well with the Afghan public, helps deflect their attention from real issues and does genuinely have the effect of uniting (for now) the Afghan public. It is like a cancer patient taking a painkiller -- won't save your life but it will lessen the misery somewhat.
5. Remember a drowning man will even grasp for a snake

To this point there is a very interesting op-ed "Can the idealist Afghanistan & realist Pakistan cooperate?" -- I read it when it came out and I thought the author was giving Afghanistan a pass -- but now that I think about it: perhaps idealistic is a euphemism for irrational. Anyhow I have never understood what Afghanistan has gained from it's historic view towards Pakistan -- it's like a bitter man who has painted himself in a corner.

So in summary -- No I don't think realpolitik can explain it -- perhaps the most favorable interpretation is domestic politics.
 
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Is ghani even have control of all Afghanistan? lol

I will be very happy if we dont keep any sort of relationship with afghans. I only wish it would be possible for us to send all afghan refugess, lock the border permanently and let this superior arrogant afghan reside in their beloved land
 
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1179752-ashrafghani-1473477409-278-640x480.jpg

ISLAMABAD:

Kabul has threatened to shut the Afghan transit route for Pakistani exports to Central Asia if Islamabad does not allow Afghan traders to use Lahore’s Wagah border for trade with India.
“If Pakistan does not allow Afghan traders to use the Wagah border for imports and exports of their goods, Afghanistan will also not allow Pakistan to use Afghan transit routes to reach Central Asia and other countries for exports,” President Ashraf Ghani said in a meeting with UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Owen Jenkins in Kabul. “Afghanistan is no more a landlocked country as it has many transit routes for the import and export of goods,” Ghani added, according to a Pashto-language statement posted on Friday by the president’s website.

The remarks came amid tension between the two uneasy neighbours over several issues and particularly in the backdrop of Pakistan’s decision to introduce a new mechanism at its Torkham border that requires every Afghan to carry passport and visa for crossing the border.

“Pakistan has always shut its routes on Afghanistan’s fresh fruit, causing loss of millions of dollars to our traders,” the Afghan president said. He added that Afghanistan was making efforts to boost economic cooperation in the region and wanted Pakistan and other regional countries to remove all technical problems that create obstacles in economic cooperation.

When contacted, a Foreign Office official refused to comment on Ghani’s statement, saying a response will be given after due consultations.

Afghan officials said Kabul has long been demanding the use of Pakistan’s land route to deliver goods at the Indian border town of Attari via Wagah. However, Pakistan is reluctant to grant such permission in view of the state of its relations with New Delhi.

Afghan sources insist that Afghan goods, mostly fresh fruits go up to Wagah but then it is not allowed to go up to Attari. “It is offloaded in Wagah and then carried in carts up to Attari and loaded on again. This adds to transportation cost as well as to a significant spoilage,” an Afghan source said.

“We have asked that our goods mostly fresh fruit be allowed to go up to Attari and then transferred to Indian trucks in a back to back arrangement. This alone can reduce cost and spoilage to an extent that will make our export of fruit to India double or triple,” he said.

Ghani also obliquely accused Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism, saying the recently organised and well-coordinated terrorist attacks showed that the terrorists receive aid from outside.

“Support to the terrorist groups is an action contrary to the good neighbourhood and all international norms and action of the neighbouring country is no more acceptable to the people and gov’t of Afghanistan,” he was quoted as saying.

“We will use diplomatic channels to stop all efforts to destabilise Afghanistan through terrorist groups. I want our message should be conveyed to Pakistan,” the Afghan leaders further said.

On his part the British envoy said his country will support the Afghan-led intra-Afghan dialogue and will keep on efforts along with the regional countries. Pakistani officials say repatriation of the refugees could gain momentum and that many would return this and next year.
china gift.jpg

Thats why I said we need an alternative to Afghanistan in which china could lease us some land to connect to Tajikistan directly. But Mods removed my post cause they found it ridiculous. Afghanistan will always create trouble on all the projects which will come through it. TAPI, Electric transmission lines and trade etc.
 
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Yes ... if the Jurnails bring Afghan Onion from Afghanistan to Pakistan then I will lobby for them in Congress -- lol



mmm, good question:
1. I think realpolitik is between two or more states (?) [someone in the know please chime in] -- at least I think that is how the term is understood in its common usage.
2. If that is true then no -- Pakistan provides access to Afghanistan to Karachi (and has provided for 70 years)
3. The loss to Pakistan of a transit route vis Afghanistan's loss of Pakistani ports is disproportionally painful for Afghanistan. So I con't think of any Realpolitik reason for doing so -- to placate India, possibly
4. But I do think it may be for domestic consumption -- Anything to prick Pakistan goes down well with the Afghan public, helps deflect their attention from real issues and does genuinely have the effect of uniting (for now) the Afghan public. It is like a cancer patient taking a painkiller -- won't save your life but it will lessen the misery somewhat.
5. Remember a drowning man will even grasp for a snake

To this point there is a very interesting op-ed "Can the idealist Afghanistan & realist Pakistan cooperate?" -- I read it when it came out and I thought the author was giving Afghanistan a pass -- but now that I think about it: perhaps idealistic is a euphemism for irrational. Anyhow I have never understood what Afghanistan has gained from it's historic view towards Pakistan -- it's like a bitter man who has painted himself in a corner.

So in summary -- No I don't think realpolitik can explain it -- perhaps the most favorable interpretation is domestic politics.

Jurnails hahahah :D

Yes ... if the Jurnails bring Afghan Onion from Afghanistan to Pakistan then I will lobby for them in Congress -- lol



mmm, good question:
1. I think realpolitik is between two or more states (?) [someone in the know please chime in] -- at least I think that is how the term is understood in its common usage.
2. If that is true then no -- Pakistan provides access to Afghanistan to Karachi (and has provided for 70 years)
3. The loss to Pakistan of a transit route vis Afghanistan's loss of Pakistani ports is disproportionally painful for Afghanistan. So I con't think of any Realpolitik reason for doing so -- to placate India, possibly
4. But I do think it may be for domestic consumption -- Anything to prick Pakistan goes down well with the Afghan public, helps deflect their attention from real issues and does genuinely have the effect of uniting (for now) the Afghan public. It is like a cancer patient taking a painkiller -- won't save your life but it will lessen the misery somewhat.
5. Remember a drowning man will even grasp for a snake

To this point there is a very interesting op-ed "Can the idealist Afghanistan & realist Pakistan cooperate?" -- I read it when it came out and I thought the author was giving Afghanistan a pass -- but now that I think about it: perhaps idealistic is a euphemism for irrational. Anyhow I have never understood what Afghanistan has gained from it's historic view towards Pakistan -- it's like a bitter man who has painted himself in a corner.

So in summary -- No I don't think realpolitik can explain it -- perhaps the most favorable interpretation is domestic politics.

Domestic consumption maybe be part of it but slowly there are other routes being put in place, whether they can completely replace Pakistani routes is to be seen.

In ideal situation the region would benefit greatly by having full mesh connectivity but this is not the ideal situation and I am afraid we will end up in competing visions such as those backed by one side or the other i.e. China, India, Iran and others.
 
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If we want to we can do all the trade around afghanistan not through it. 1st Route going to central Asia from China 2nd Route Going to Russia from Iran. So we have more options than Afghanistan. If they are not land locked any more why bother give this statement??? Go do trade from other route. Our doors are closed for you. It is simple as that.
 
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I didn't understood this , one time Pakistan is saying they want to become transit hub for region.And second place this self destructive behavior is seen.

If Pakistan really wants to become transit hub , they should start concentrating on trade then on politics
 
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