Granting India transit rights through Pakistan to Afghanistan

[PeacefulIndian]

Let the negotiations begin.

This won't be one sided, never is. If it was, Pakistan would have reoriented its forces and provided India that corridor already.

For movement to occur, there will be give and take, and whether that includes some sort of understanding (overt or covert) over Pakistan's concerns around aggression from India in case of a reorientation of troops we shall have to see.

None of this is last minute stuff -the proposals and counter proposals will be known to everyone, and preliminary discussions and groundwork on the negotiations will likely already have been done.

Agreed that this may not be a last minute stuff & all ground work may have been done already. But that does not undermine the fact that it is still a bitter pill for Pakistan. All the ‘take’ part Pakistan can expect is that India agrees to move away its ‘offensive forces’ from borders. And India will happily agree to that.

This direct trade route between India & Afghanistan is detrimental for Pakistan itself. India imports mostly dry fruits from Pakistan, which are largely made in Afghanistan. With this free trade route, India will directly buy it from Afghanistan, hitting your exports hard. And it is a different story that Pakistan does not want to see better relations between India & Afghanistan. That’s why so much hue & cry about Indian embassies there.

Essence of the story is – Pakistan is facing much more stringent policy under Obama. Expect much more deals in near future, which may be ‘give & take’, but ‘take’ part for Pakistan will be minuscule compared to its ‘give’ part.

 

[Screaming Skull]

I am surprised that not many members have been able to read behind the lines.

Why do you think US is pushing for a trade route for India through Wagah? Is it only to further Indian interests?

A few weeks back I read a post by S-2 where he said that US was seriously looking for an alternate route for NATO supplies which currently are shipped to Karachi and reach Afghanistan by road.
He had hinted that US was considering diverting the cargo from Karachi to Mumbai from where India would repaint the containers and ship them to Iran as aid to Afghanistan as US can't directly ship them to Afghanistan.

Now read this news. US asks Pakistan to provide a land route through its territory for India. So now the containers reach Mumbai and you have a direct land transport route.

Consequences for Pakistan? Well US will be less dependent on Pakistan after this and Pakistan looses a considerable leverage over the US that she has right now.

Consequences for India? Apart from saving the costs of shipping aid to Afghanistan from Iran, India will see more cargo reaching her own ports (Read increased duties and business). This apart from all the strategic benefts.

Consequences for US? Well I think members here are clever enough to figure out that.

 

[zubair723]

You are making the case for Pakistan! All very valid concerns for Pakistan thus our reluctance to give India a free hand. We would be stupid (any nation would be) to give up our economic interests in such a way or should we?

Lets get the max out of this. Get the transit fee & let the cargo get looted in PESHAWER

 

[Zob]

i read a news today somewhere that india did a "military excercise" inorder to check its operational preparedness in kashmir sector....???

as for containers........sounds like a plan send them over we will see what is in it....if we like it we keep it...you better insure them with ICICI

 

[PeacefulIndian]

I am surprised that not many members have been able to read behind the lines.

Why do you think US is pushing for a trade route for India through Wagah? Is it only to further Indian interests?

A few weeks back I read a post by S-2 where he said that US was seriously looking for an alternate route for NATO supplies which currently are shipped to Karachi and reach Afghanistan by road.
He had hinted that US was considering diverting the cargo from Karachi to Mumbai from where India would repaint the containers and ship them to Iran as aid to Afghanistan as US can't directly ship them to Afghanistan.

Now read this news. US asks Pakistan to provide a land route through its territory for India. So now the containers reach Mumbai and you have a direct land transport route.

Consequences for Pakistan? Well US will be less dependent on Pakistan after this and Pakistan looses a considerable leverage over the US that she has right now.

Consequences for India? Apart from saving the costs of shipping aid to Afghanistan from Iran, India will see more cargo reaching her own ports (Read increased duties and business). This apart from all the strategic benefts.

Consequences for US? Well I think members here are clever enough to figure out that.

I don't see it as a possibilty, if the agreement mentions it as a 'trade route'. And probably it does. And if it does not, I don't think Pakistan will agree to it. Though the alternate route for military supplies means heaven for India & US, it spells out to be a nightmare for Pakistan. That simply means - reduced possibility of blackmailing US.

 

[PeacefulIndian]

Lets get the max out of this. Get the transit fee & let the cargo get looted in PESHAWER

That is nothing new. You have been doing that already with NATO over last few years.

 

[Zaheerkhan]

India dosent have to depend on Pakistan for transit into Afghanistan. Although Pakistan offers the shortest route to Afghanistan, we can use our good relations with Iran through the deep sea port we have built in Iran. Indian and Iranian intrests are the same for Afghanistan.

 

[zubair723]

India dosent have to depend on Pakistan for transit into Afghanistan. Although Pakistan offers the shortest route to Afghanistan, we can use our good relations with Iran through the deep sea port we have built in Iran. Indian and Iranian intrests are the same for Afghanistan.

Then why 'eye' WAHGAH & PAKISTAN ROUTE.

 

[unforgotton_man]

this will be complete suicide

 

[Cheetah786]

I am surprised that not many members have been able to read behind the lines.

Why do you think US is pushing for a trade route for India through Wagah? Is it only to further Indian interests?

A few weeks back I read a post by S-2 where he said that US was seriously looking for an alternate route for NATO supplies which currently are shipped to Karachi and reach Afghanistan by road.
He had hinted that US was considering diverting the cargo from Karachi to Mumbai from where India would repaint the containers and ship them to Iran as aid to Afghanistan as US can't directly ship them to Afghanistan.

Now read this news. US asks Pakistan to provide a land route through its territory for India. So now the containers reach Mumbai and you have a direct land transport route.

Consequences for Pakistan? Well US will be less dependent on Pakistan after this and Pakistan looses a considerable leverage over the US that she has right now.

Consequences for India? Apart from saving the costs of shipping aid to Afghanistan from Iran, India will see more cargo reaching her own ports (Read increased duties and business). This apart from all the strategic benefts.

Consequences for US? Well I think members here are clever enough to figure out that.

you mean like in the movies when some one wanted to hide there identity they wear glasses and no one can see who they are

 

[Cheetah786]

India dosent have to depend on Pakistan for transit into Afghanistan. Although Pakistan offers the shortest route to Afghanistan, we can use our good relations with Iran through the deep sea port we have built in Iran. Indian and Iranian intrests are the same for Afghanistan.

Hey there is my whacky tobacy friend last time India banned PIA over there air space and we replied with the same favor it cost Indian air line 600million more in fuel cost to go around Pakistan.please continue to beat around the bush it means zilch to us if Iranian port was so important to U and cheaper then via Pakistan i doubt India would be lobbying Washington for this i guess India dose wanna depend on Pakistan for transit to Afghanistan.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

IMO, Pakistan is not going to offer major concessions to India as long as India refuses to restart the bilateral dialog on disputes.

 

[khanz]

My dear
You agree but would pakistan govt (read army) agree. India would be more than happy to pay the transit fee because if they get this corridor then pakistan can forget any advantage over afghanistan in future, and also this corridor would be a big blow to pak economy because India would then go an extra mile and give more subsidy to exports to afghanistan and trust me pakistan doesnot have that kind of money to match Indian subsidies. But then if peace is gained between both countries it would be cheaper

yest hats true but doesn't it work both ways though if pakistan give india access through wagah that means india would become dependant on pakistan for their trade to a-stan which will give pak more leverage over both india and afghanistan which it doesn't have at the moment sice they both use iran if this happens both will become reliant on pak and we will have the threat of cutting of the trade coridoor with each other to our advanatge and also be able to check whats goods go into there and get a better idea of their activities.

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

I say give india the safe trade corridor as this would be in a greater interest of Pakistan . The washington might also demand for indian forces in afghanistan once given this safe corridor .
Pakistan should also focus on its benchmarks if US presses Pakistan to engage india in such a deal. Such an agreement is possible if it suffies to benifit bothsides . Neverthless we should make sure that trade corridor maynot be used to fan the unrest in the country

But the question is till how long this agreement would sustain itself with continuing hostilities on bothsides and a huge trust defficit .

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The opening event of what are to be two days of high-level talks included the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the conclusion of a border trade and transit agreement by the end of this year - an accord under discussion for more than 40 years.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-06-voa32.cfm

I take that as 'no breakthrough' on allowing transit trade to India through Pakistan.