Granting India transit rights through Pakistan to Afghanistan

[zubair723]

INDIA needs to learn from the story 'THE DOG & THE BONE'

 

[Contrarian]

Imho its a smart decision, one that will bring business and prosperity to Pakistan aswell.

Its a MoU between Afghanistan and Pakistan which inclused India for mutual benefitz, lots of details have to be discussed yet including transit fee and security.

India's exports to Afghanistan via this transit routes could easily touch billions within a few years which makes it a strategic weapon for Pakistan.

Routes can be closed is tensions arise, we've seen this before...

There is always insurance. The Chabahar port, and the Indian built highway connecting Iran with Afghanistan directly. It would reduce the cost of Indian exports to Afghanistan by quite a margin. Ofcourse it would not be cheaper than a route directly through Pakistan, but it is much cheaper than what we currently have to spend.

And thus, incase of Pakistan blocking a route in the future, there is another recourse available. Infact using the Iranian port, India would be able to trade easily with the rest of CAR's as well.

Not much leverage i think. Leverage would have been there or would be there if something vital like a gas or oil pipeline of India passes through Pakistan. This is insignificant in comparison.

 

[BaburCM]

India will never get any passage through Pakistani soil. Pakistan is a strategically located country in this neighbourhood. That's one solid ace that Pakistan holds against India. I know that India is literally dying to get hold of the transit route through Pakistan to ME, CAS etc. It's the most cheapest and efficient route. We will always exploit this huge weakness to our advantage. Let them go around the world and trade with whoever they wish. Not through our sacred soil though. The whole meeting in the US is a farce and shouldn't be taken seriously. Ghadari is an irrelevant and meaningless pawn. We know who really calls the shots at the end of the day. Pakistan will have much more benefit from providing access to China. India should be kept at a far distance. That also applies for pipeline projects etc.

 

[ajpirzada]

FO negates India granted trade route through Pakistan
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | FO negates India granted trade route through Pakistan

i dont mind if india is allowed to trade with afghanistan given afghanistan allows us to get access to central asian countries..... also this doesnt mean we are lettin india trade with countries other than afghanistan. for india to get access to central asian countries through pakistan there will obviously be another pact bw india and pakistan.

 

[BaburCM]

Why Indian hypocrisy at its best. Indian don't want to start IPI project with Pakistan for security issue,but on the side asking regular trade transit......isn't it security issue.

Well, you know the cheap Indian mentality. They want the cream. Well, I got news for them. They ain't gonna get anything let alone a transit route.

FO negates India granted trade route through Pakistan
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | FO negates India granted trade route through Pakistan

Good news! I needed this confirmation. That should keep a few quite in here.

 

[HAIDER]

ISLAMABAD: Briefing the media at the Foreign Ministry Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Basit Pakistan has refuted US media reports that it has shared information about its nukes with US authorities saying that information about its nukes is sacrosanct and can not be shared with any country.

‘Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal is safe and secure and concerns about their security are invalid,’ said Basit.

Responding to a question the spokesman said it is not true that India has been granted transit trade route for Afghanistan, saying that it is a mere MOU under which Pakistan and Afghanistan would holds talks on the matter.

Commenting on the Swat peace deal the spokesman said peace and peace deal are interlinked, if there is no peace then there is no deal. The spokesman said if militants lay down their arms then the peace deal can be salvaged.

The spokesman rejected the assertions of the Afghan President that Pakistan is the hub of terrorism and said terrorism is faced by both countries.

On Dr. Afia Siddiqui’s issue the spokesman said Pakistan has approached the Obama administration for a review of Dr. Afia’s case purely on humanitarian grounds.

On the issue of detained Pakistani students, the spokesman said ten students are with the UK border agency and the Pakistani government is trying to prevent their deportation. He said President Zardari will take up the matter with the British Prime Minister while returning to Pakistan from the USA via London.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | India not granted transit through Pakistan: FO

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Transit trade: Pak denies concessions to India ​

ISLAMABAD (updated on: May 07, 2009, 16:38 PST): Pakistan today rejected the impression that it had granted ‘concessions’ to India by signing a pact with Afghanistan to conclude a new transit trade agreement by the end of this year.

"I don't know who has given concessions," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit told a weekly news briefing in response to a question about the memorandum of understanding signed yesterday between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Reports have said that once the new transit trade agreement is concluded, it will allow India to use the route between the Wagah land border and Pakistan's Khyber tribal region for trade with Afghanistan.

However, Basit said the MoU only relates to negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan on devising a new arrangement to replace the existing transit trade agreement. The MoU commits the two countries to concluding talks by the end of this year and "all issues will be taken care of when the negotiations begin," he said.

Pakistan's "engagement with India for a transit route to Afghanistan is a separate issue" and will be discussed bilaterally, Basit said. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton yesterday said the MoU commits Pakistan and Afghanistan "to achieving a trade transit agreement by the end of the year, which we believe will have great economic benefits for both peoples".

Clinton also said the agreement had been "under discussion for 43 years without resolution". She described the MoU as "an important milestone" in efforts by the two countries to generate foreign investment, economic growth and trade opportunities.

Though India is not mentioned in the MoU, reports said it would be the main beneficiary of a transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan as New Delhi is one of Kabul's major trade partners.

India and Afghanistan have for long been making efforts to get Pakistan to open its land routes for transit trade between the two countries.

 

[Screaming Skull]

Pakistan's "engagement with India for a transit route to Afghanistan is a separate issue" and will be discussed bilaterally, Basit said.

Hmm! So they are not categorically rejecting the proposal altogether after all.


And what are we supposed to make out of this???

Though India is not mentioned in the MoU, reports said it would be the main beneficiary of a transit trade agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan as New Delhi is one of Kabul's major trade partners.

India and Afghanistan have for long been making efforts to get Pakistan to open its land routes for transit trade between the two countries.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Hmm! So they are not categorically rejecting the proposal altogether after all.

No, but Pakistan has never categorically rejected the idea of India using Pakistan as a transit trade route. The issue is of 'normalization' between India and Pakistan before such agreements are implemented.

And what are we supposed to make out of this???

Nothing - India will utilize the transit trade if the bilateral talks on the issue move forward, and Pakistan allows India to conduct that trade.

As of right now India and Pakistan are not talking.

 

[Screaming Skull]

No, but Pakistan has never categorically rejected the idea of India using Pakistan as a transit trade route. The issue is of 'normalization' between India and Pakistan before such agreements are implemented.


Nothing - India will utilize the transit trade if the bilateral talks on the issue move forward, and Pakistan allows India to conduct that trade.

As of right now India and Pakistan are not talking.

Ok! Fair enough. But the question remains as to why US is raising this issue at such a high level summit? Why is Obama directly getting involved in this business. I mean, if only India and Pakistan are to benefit form such an agreement, then this is such a petty issue to be raised by Obama or Clinton.

Are there any bigger, ulterior strategic motives behind such a move?

 

[Screaming Skull]

Lets see.. hmm.. A Press Trust of India article.. posted by NDTV (the most yellowish news channel).. talking about Obama pressurizing Pakistan for the interests of India.

Don't jump your guns. At least we expect better from the famous 'Webmaster'.

DAWN.COM | World | India to get Afghan transit trade route

Posted on PDF by none other than your wonderful Indian member.. hmm What a load of garbage.

'wonderful Indian member' well I l take that as a compliment and the rest...hmm...never mind!

 

[Screaming Skull]

Pakistan and Afghanistan signed on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding to begin talks on a transit trade agreement which will ultimately allow India to use the Wagah-Khyber route for trade with Kabul.

DAWN.COM | World | India to get Afghan transit trade route

According to the above report, the MoU signed is only to 'begin talks' on a transit trade agreement which will ultimately allow India to use the Wagah-Khyber route for trade with Kabul.

So, the Pak FO has once again taken the Pakistani people for a ride by saying 'India not granted transit through Pakistan'. That was never the issue in the first place and no one was claiming that India had been allowed a trade transit route through Wagah.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Ok! Fair enough. But the question remains as to why US is raising this issue at such a high level summit? Why is Obama directly getting involved in this business. I mean, if only India and Pakistan are to benefit form such an agreement, then this is such a petty issue to be raised by Obama or Clinton.

Are there any bigger, ulterior strategic motives behind such a move?

a. It creates a mutually beneficial relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and possibly reduces distrust.

b. It's the easiest way for trade to occur with Afghanistan, which is necessary for creating a sustainable economy.

c. In case of future sanctions on Iran, there is an alternate trade route for Afghanistan to use.

d. Later negotiations with India on obtaining TT may be a possible CBM that leads to other issues, but to get there we need an Afghan TTA first.

Some thoughts ...

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

According to the above report, the MoU signed is only to 'begin talks' on a transit trade agreement which will ultimately allow India to use the Wagah-Khyber route for trade with Kabul.

So, the Pak FO has once again taken the Pakistani people for a ride by saying 'India not granted transit through Pakistan'. That was never the issue in the first place and no one was claiming that India had been allowed a trade transit route through Wagah.

I don't see how the Pakistani FO has 'taken people for a ride'.

The FO was responding to reports in the media that India had been granted Transit Trade access - of course the response was going to be that it was not.

 

[Screaming Skull]

I don't see how the Pakistani FO has 'taken people for a ride'.

The FO was responding to reports in the media that India had been granted Transit Trade access - of course the response was going to be that it was not.

There was no report in the Indian media claiming 'India had been granted Transit Trade access'. The PTI report that I posted before only said that US would pressurize Pakistan to grant India a transit trade access. IMO the US has succeeded in 'pressurizing Pakistan' in this regard and this is why I say that the Pakistani FO has 'taken Pakistani people for a ride' by claiming otherwise.