Kabul denied route for India trade

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Here you go:

"Our joys and sorrows, our successes and tragedies, intersect and our people are bound by a distinct sense of shared destiny," adding that together both countries could embark the road to deeper trust, greater understanding and intensified cooperation. Gilani said Pakistan was proud to be an active participant in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and added that it had contributed over $ 300 million for this purpose.

He said currently Pakistan was engaged in constructing the 200-bed Jinnah General Hospital and Thalacemia Centre in Kabul, another hospital in Logar and a Kidney Centre in Jalalabad. The Prime Minister also announced to build a hostel for over 1,000 students in Kabul and undertake expansion of the universities of Kabul, Nangarhar and Balkh.

About Pakistan's efforts for the development of Afghanistan, Prime Minister Gilani mentioned the already completed Torkham-Jalalabad highway and said at present, it was engaged in building a parallel carriageway. He said Pakistan had supplied 200 trucks, 100 buses and over 50 ambulances and mobile medical units to Afghanistan and printed 10 million textbooks for Afghan school children, besides supplying school kits, computers, tents, food aid and other essential items.

The Prime Minister announced allocation of 1,000 scholarships for Afghan students. He also proposed setting up model villages for Afghan returnees and plans for promoting skills development through vocational training centres. The Prime Minister said Pakistan would set up a regional Customs Academy in Kabul, extend the railroads up to Afghanistan, and accelerate the projects on infrastructure and energy connectivity.

"These projects are the first incremental steps towards the realization of a futuristic vision for the region," he said. The Prime Minister said, "We have no doubt that this vision is within reach. Through concerted efforts, we will establish integrated and interconnected corridors of trade and transport."

He said Pakistan had also been engaged in capacity building of Afghanistan's state institutions in the fields of diplomacy, law enforcement, judiciary, agriculture, counter narcotics, customs and medical and paramedical services. He said among regional frameworks, Pakistan is a leading participant in ECO's endeavors for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Gilani referred to his meeting with President Karzai in August last in Colombo, where the two democratic governments agreed to jointly brought about a fundamental transformation in bilateral relationship. He mentioned that jirga process had been revived in line with the aspirations of the people of the two countries. The Prime Minister hoped that Afghan refugees would return home with dignity and honour and be rehabilitated at their own motherland safely. He said the struggle against terrorism was a struggle for a profound vision for a better tomorrow.

"It is a struggle for hearts and minds, one in which dialogue and development must be the most potent tools," he said. PM Gilani said after long years of conflict and suffering, people of Afghanistan and the region deserve security and stability. "They deserve stronger institutions, effective governance, respite from narco trade, meaningful reconstruction and sustainable economic development and they deserve a healing process, he added. Gilani said the regional dimension of Afghanistan's development strategy warrants closer attention.

ReliefWeb » Document » Afghanistan: Gilani, Karzai express resolve to make joint efforts for region’s peace, prosperity

My god!

So much strategioc depth!

And not a Pakistani missile silo or armored formation in sight!

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The CARs will have to appreciate Afghanistan's tenuous relationship with Pakistan and understand the immense difficulty transiting such goods south to Pakistan might play in such.

As to the reverse, it'll be difficult for Afghans to assure that goods traveling north to CAR aren't used as cover to resupply taliban operations within Afghanistan.

Until the Pakistani government ceases it's acts of war against the Afghan people, I doubt that there'll be substantive changes to this contentious trade relationship.

All will benefit by opening trade routes and putting down the guns. Pakistan will need to understand that requires an immense display of diplomatic acumen as a stark change-of-direction from harboring proxy armies.

I don't know that it's possible for you to do so. It means accepting the status quo in Afghanistan and then working to change matters through persuasion and demonstratable good-will and not via targeted bombings and attacks upon school-girls.

Try it for a notably refreshing change of pace.

If 'Afghanistan's tenuous relationship with Pakistan' is the issue, and the reason for denying Pakistan access to the CAR's, then Afghanistan should not be involved in negotiating a transit trade agreement with Pakistan at all...

 

[S-2]

"Not bad for people obsessed with 'strategic depth' eh... "

Uh huh. Chump-change if underwritten by others and one-sixth of their more distant neighbor in any case.

As to your obsession, read Xeric's comment here-

"We don't have an obsession with strategic depth... " S-2

"Sorry for hurting you, but yes we are obsessed with this stone-age thinking, if that;s what you want to hear" Xeric

That "obsession" has had a bloody net effect upon the Afghans and is tantamount to an act of war in my book.

 

[S-2]

Thanks for the article.

Sincerely.

Some thoughts of mine on your civilian government from elsewhere here-

"I actually feel badly for your civilian government. I sense they would like to do all the correct thingys...

...sorta, but battle about thirty years plus of a Zia promulgated islamo-fascist hangover that continues to infect your intelligence services, armed forces, and public which makes for a hard row to hoe."

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

As to your obsession, read Xeric's comment here-

"We don't have an obsession with strategic depth... " S-2

"Sorry for hurting you, but yes we are obsessed with this stone-age thinking, if that;s what you want to hear" Xeric

That "obsession" has had a bloody net effect upon the Afghans and is tantamount to an act of war in my book.

Yes, what about our 'obsession'? I think my response to spitfire detailed my opinion about people like you who are more obsessed with this fairy tale quite clearly, and one line out of Xerics entire post does not validate the point you are trying to make.

 

[A1Kaid]

If this wild idea of Afghanistan denying Pakistan a trade route to CARs materializes and happens, then there is always the realistic possibility of building a highway via Pakistan-China-CARs.

In fact, since we already have the Karakorum Highway with China, we could make major additions to that highway that would stretch the highway through a small portion of Chinese territory and onto the Tajikistan-China border.





Notice there is only a small portion of Chinese territory that separates the northern portion of Pakistan from Tajikistan's South-East territory. We can link up the highway to CAR's with this method and approach.


A win-win for Pakistan and Central Asia.

 

[SinoIndusFriendship]

If this wild idea of Afghanistan denying Pakistan a trade route to CARs materializes and happens, then there is always the realistic possibility of building a highway via Pakistan-China-CARs.

In fact, since we already have the Karakorum Highway with China, we could make major additions to that highway that would stretch the highway through a small portion of Chinese territory and onto the Tajikistan-China border.





Notice there is only a small portion of Chinese territory that separates the northern portion of Pakistan from Tajikistan's South-East territory. We can link up the highway to CAR's with this method and approach.


A win-win for Pakistan and Central Asia.

I don't see a problem with Pakistani going through Chinese territory, after all isn't that the WHOLE PURPOSE of China's Highways (i.e. to link up with Pak, Iran, CAR, etc)??? If it is friendly nations, why should there be a problem?

Chill out my friends, only "hostile" nations need to fear!

 

[A1Kaid]

Besides, building a highway through China to CAR's is most likely a safer options, as Afghanistan is unstable, and China is a pro-Pakistan and friendly nation. Our drivers and delivery personnel would be safer, our deliveries would reach their destinations for sure, no worry of hostage situations or road side bombs or whatever threat doing trading via Afghanistan...


China is our better option!

Don't tell me the Chinese would deny us this highway to CAR's we alreayd have a highway with them, and besides these people shared with us their Nuclear designs you really think their going to worry about Pakistani Trucks driving through the extreme South-West part of China...

 

[A1Kaid]

So there you go Americans and Indians talking all that crap about how or what if Afghanistan denying Pakistan a trade route to CARs....


Besides, no thanks we don't need a trade route through Afghanistan, it's way too dangerous, we don't want to put the life and safety of our delivery personnel at risk in Afghanistan. Where, after 8 years of US-NATO control is still dangerous in most of the country, and parts of the streets and roads are rigged with road side bombs, poor infrastructure that even a donkey-pulled wagon has difficulty getting across.


I say just add major additions to the Karakorum Highway, build an addition that links the highway onto the Tajikistan border, and from there we have access to the entire CARs region.

 

[trickey]

"I believe Pakistan has pumped in about 300 million USD to India's 1 Billion USD in support to Afghanistan, along with being a major trading partner and source of many basic goods imported by Afghanistan."

Love to see a link or two substantiating that $300m USD please. Not that I doubt you but...I doubt you. Last I saw was below $200m.

India has already spent or pledged at least $1.2B-

India Pledges Aid to Afghanistan-Al Jazerra Aug. 5, 2008

I look forward to something similar from you.

Sure here is the link:
India's role in Afghanistan constructive: US | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Let me quote the relevant part:
India, along with the Asian Development Bank, has financed a USD 300 million project to bring electricity from Central Asia to Afghanistan.

 

[Omar1984]

There's absolutely no way for India to get access to CAR's. It has China up north and Pakistan to the west.

Better start talking about Kashmir and Sir Creek and maybe Pakistan will reconsider.

 

[trickey]

Simple googling is not turning up the link I read it on, so lets leave it at the 200 million USD for now, until I find the link.

Not bad for people obsessed with 'strategic depth' eh...

I think you misunderstand Google. It is not a djinn.

 

[S-2]

"I think my response to spitfire detailed my opinion about people like you who are more obsessed with this fairy tale quite clearly, and one line out of Xerics entire post does not validate the point you are trying to make."

"people like me..."? That "one line", as you put it, is a direct response from a serving officer of your army to a direct question.

It's plain enough and begs no further elaboration. Further, it's hardly a fairytale and the net bloody results are daily evident in Afghanistan.

"people like me" understand that people like you have contenanced making war on Afghanistan as though it's your private fiefdom. It isn't.

It's a sovereign nation upon which your proxies make war. No fairy tale there. Enough of your own casually acknowledge such but you, no doubt, will attempt to refute such with me.

Whatever.

Go talk to Xeric if you've a problem. His words. Not mine.

More than likely he's not the only serving officer who thinks in such terms.

 

[A1Kaid]

I don't see a problem with Pakistani going through Chinese territory, after all isn't that the WHOLE PURPOSE of China's Highways (i.e. to link up with Pak, Iran, CAR, etc)??? If it is friendly nations, why should there be a problem?

Chill out my friends, only "hostile" nations need to fear!

Absolutely there is already tremendous trust, friendship, and love on both sides for both people.


I repeat, for Pakistan trading with CARs a highway through China is our best option and from my POV our favorite option.

 

[Cheetah786]

Sad news for afghanistan. It wont make things better between afghanistan and pakistan friend. Is there any way india and afghanistan can trade? Any other route? i doubt that. i wish russia was near india. May be it would have been easy for india to trade through russia. Very sad news indeed. What was afghanistan's reaction friend? What afghanistan people think about it? Any reaction came yet? Thank you.

There isnt much love left in pakistan for Afghans so what ever Afghans think then can kiss our http://img17.imageshack.us/i/34bart6.gif/