Ghani’s call for India joining transit trade rejected

[Devil Soul]

Ghani’s call for India joining transit trade rejected
BAQIR SAJJAD SYED — UPDATED ABOUT 4 HOURS AGO
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ISLAMABAD: A top government official on Saturday rebuffed calls by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to involve India in transit trade with Afghanistan, saying it is not possible.

The official was replying to a question regarding President Ghani’s statement in which he had threatened to block Pakistan’s trade access to Central Asian States (CAS), if it did not allow Afghanistan to trade with India via the Wagah border.

Mr Ghani made those remarks during a meeting with the UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Owen Jenkins in Kabul on Friday. The president’s office later toned down the statement that was originally released to the media in Pashto and told journalists he had meant to say that Kabul could consider placing restrictions on Pakistani trade with CAS via Afghanistan.

Agreement with Afghanistan does not have such provision, says Pakistan
The Pakistani official contended that the Afghan leader was practically seeking concession for India as Afghan trucks were already allowed to deliver their goods to India. However, as per the existing arrangement, they were not allowed to carry back Indian goods.

“Giving concession to India is unlikely at this stage,” the official told Dawn alluding to worsening ties with Delhi. “Connectivity through Wagah is still far away.”

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had at the last Heart of Asia ministerial conference in Islamabad expressed her country’s desire to join the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement (APTTA).

The Pakistani official dismissed President Ghani’s statement as a political stunt.

“It’s not new. He (Mr Ghani) gave a similar statement last year as well during his visit to India and is again scheduled to travel to Delhi next week (Sept 14),” he recalled.

Pakistan’s trade with CAS through Afghanistan currently is negligible because of the security situation, but there were plans to bring Tajikistan into the transit trade arrangement to make it Trilateral Transit Trade Agreement (TTTA).

Pakistan is reportedly considering other routes as well for reaching Tajikistan, bypassing the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

There are plans for getting Chinese help in linking China-Pakistan Economic Corridor with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as well as Corridor 5&6 of CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation), which will establish connectivity between Pakistan and Central Asia.

President Ghani, meanwhile, had also pointed out in his comments that Afghanistan was no more entirely reliant on Pakistan for its external trade as it has got other routes for exports and imports. He was referring to the trade route India is helping to build linking Iran’s Chabahar port with Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s bilateral trade with Pakistan is on the decline. According to some estimates, it has gone down by 50 per cent over the past few months because of border issues. Last month, the Chaman border crossing remained closed for almost 14 days, while in June the Torkham border crossing remained closed for a week.

Afghan exports that mostly consist of fresh fruits suffer the most because of these closures.

Meanwhile, FO Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said: “The bilateral transit trade agreement APTTA does not involve transit to and from India [but] Pakistan continues to allow transit of Afghan fruit to India through Wagah as a special gesture.”

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2016


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[Jobless Jack]

let the indians trade with their ghanis.. but as transit fee charge 200% . pay the fee or no trade

 

[OrionHunter]

let the indians trade with their ghanis.. but as transit fee charge 200% . pay the fee or no trade

200%? And YOU guys call us 'banyas'? Lol!

 

[Joe Shearer]

200%? And YOU guys call us 'banyas'? Lol!

More to the point, he calls himself Jobless Jack. Guess why?

 

[Brickwall]

let the indians trade with their ghanis.. but as transit fee charge 200% . pay the fee or no trade

Hypothetically , if tomorrow Iran joins CPEC and wants to trade with India through same Network of road, will you still reject it ??

 

[maximuswarrior]

Hypothetically , if tomorrow Iran joins CPEC and wants to trade with India through same Network of road, will you still reject it ??

That is a big hypothetical question because Pakistan would reject it outrightly. Nawaz or no Nawaz for that matter. Besides, the Iranians know this already so why would they even ask. Resolve Kashmir and we might start thinking about such a proposal.

 

[Brickwall]

That is a big hypothetical question because Pakistan would reject it outrightly. Nawaz or no Nawaz for that matter. Besides, the Iranians know this already so why would they even ask. Resolve Kashmir and we might start thinking about such a proposal.

Good luck in becoming transit hub for the region

 

[maximuswarrior]

Good luck in becoming transit hub for the region

A transit hub without India is not farfetched. In fact, this is how we have it envisaged all along. India does not figure in our plans. China is the keyword, not India.

 

[Brickwall]

A transit hub without India is not farfetched. In fact, this is how we have envisaged all along. India does not figure in our plans.

Your country your rules..But my 2 cents , your dream of competing with Dubai, and you want to block trade with one of the big economies of the region.

I can see how that helps

 

[Super Falcon]

200%? And YOU guys call us 'banyas'? Lol!

This fees is for enemy

Problem which india and modi can't see it is land locked by two enemies which won't allow india to be economic engine due to Indian negative mindset allowing third parties like USA against its neighbors

So india had to be on sea trading but with no land coverage it's getting hard for india to transfer the incoming goods by land to bring the cost of goods down so the demand of goods get lesser so ships are also come less as compare to small countries like Singapore

Singapore and China had free land access this is why they are top 2

India has to resolve issues with neighbors or be like this it is good for india and region

If india resolves issues who will suffer USA EU Asia has greater bigger workforce of labours and natural resources Indian don't understand

Message to ghani we are allowing your goods it's enough we never allow Indian trucks to pass our land it is threat to our security

Ghani knows chabhar is failing it needs land access of indian goods via Pakistan to feed hungry Afghanis food which is subsidies by Indian tax payers

Otherwise Afghanis will destroy Afghan govt supporting india who don't provide free food for our anti Pakistan jobs

 

[pakistani342]

Not unexpected.

Article here, excerpts below:

...

Pakistan has categorically rejected the demand voiced by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani that India be made a party to its transit trade pact with Kabul,saying it is not possible given Islamabad’s sensitivities on security and other related issues.

...

The threat if carried out would have repercussions on India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and beyond coming as it does at a juncture when the region is reeling under the impact of tensions between India and Pakistan at one end and Pakistan and Afghanistan on the other.

It will cast a shadow on the meetings of the South Asian leaders in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly which will be opening on September 13 and run through up to September 26.The Afghan President’s office later toned down the statement that was originally released to the media in Pashto and told journalists what he had meant to say was that Kabul could consider placing restrictions on Pakistani trade with CAS via Afghanistan.

 

[maximuswarrior]

Your country your rules..But my 2 cents , your dream of competing with Dubai, and you want to block trade with one of the big economies of the region.

I can see how that helps

Screw Dubai. We won't become another glasshouse without any substance. CPEC is much much bigger than that.

India needs to sort out Kashmir. Otherwise, all it will be doing is complaining and watching as a spectator.

 

[Super Falcon]

Your country your rules..But my 2 cents , your dream of competing with Dubai, and you want to block trade with one of the big economies of the region.

I can see how that helps

Biggest economies india don't have land routes to biggest trade routes of the world with out land you are seeing a dream india is not a economic giant

 

[IceCold]

Your country your rules..But my 2 cents , your dream of competing with Dubai, and you want to block trade with one of the big economies of the region.

I can see how that helps

Ironically trade only ends up in more raw agents inside Pakistan and increase in terrorism. So thanks but no thanks. Pakistan is just fine without this so called big economy of the region.

 

[Drebin]

Hypothetically , if tomorrow Iran joins CPEC and wants to trade with India through same Network of road, will you still reject it ??

Of course. For the ans partially lies in your own question and the term "CPEC". My friend, "CPEC" is China and Pakistan. No where does it mention India. So if Iran does becomes part of CPEC then, it'll either be bilateral or trilateral trade agreement. And therefore, it would encompass Iran, Pakistan and China. It cannot turn into quadrilateral agreement to include India at whims of Iran. It's how states function and is embedded in the international law.

Hope I answered your question.

Peace.