ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday agreed to allow Afghan products export to India through land route, but stopped short of taking up the issue of reciprocal trade by New Delhi to Afghanistan.
Although a formal agreement would be signed later, understanding on the issue was reached as result of three days of negotiations between technical experts of the two sides from Commerce and Immigrations departments in Islamabad. As a result of this understanding, for the first time Afghan trucks with goods meant for a third country would be allowed to enter Pakistan, and would travel up to Wagha border for off-loading goods meant for India. However, the understanding does not allow Indian exports to Afghanistan through Pakistan. The Afghan delegation has been informed that the issue of allowing two-way trade between Afghanistan and India cannot be discussed at this forum, said a member of Pakistan delegation, adding that this can be decided in composite dialogue between India and Pakistan. Izharulhaq Ahady, first secretary to Embassy of Afghanistan, told newsmen that Pakistan has allowed Afghan trucks to move up to Wagha border to carry Afghan exports to India to facilitate Afghan exports, mainly perishable items. But the same facility for Indian exports to Afghanistan has not been discussed, he said, adding rules of engagements are being finalised to check possible movement of narcotics and illegal items through this facility. Another issue is to provide legal status to Afghan truckers in Pakistan and vice versa. Similarly, it is yet to be finalised if drivers and conductors would be required to get passports or they would be able to travel on permits, Mr Ahady said. A Pakistani official of the commerce ministry said that operational modes for allowing Afghan trucks to move up to Karachi and movement of Pakistani trucks across Afghanistan to central Asia is yet to be finalised. He said that the APTTA was signed in 1965 and the trucking industry was immature in Afghanistan at that time, but the situation has changed now and there was a need to upgrade the agreement.
It was decided that the APTTA group on Customs would meet in Kabul in the second week of January 2010 to streamline the pending issues. The fourth round of APTTA meeting also agreed that both the countries would cooperate to check smuggling of five items, including black tea, electronics, tyres, cigarettes and fabrics into Pakistan. It was decided that the Customs departments of both the countries would coordinate closely to curb smuggling and the private sectors of both countries have been authorised to identify limitations of imports of items under the APTTA, which are smuggled back into Pakistan. The members of business community have decided to establish joint chambers in Kandahar, Kabul, Nangarhar and Herat in Afghanistan, while similar arrangements would be made in Quetta, Peshawar, Karachi and Islamabad. Mr Ahady informed that Afghan government would not allow excessive import of these quantities. This would help remove Pakistan s concerns of smuggling, said that Mr Ahady and added that efforts would be made to check smuggling of certain items, like food into Afghanistan from Pakistan. The meeting decided that both the countries would help each other curb smuggling and would cooperate to enhance the formal trade as smuggling was causing revenue loss to Afghan government. It was informed that the formal trade stands at $1.5 billion and the informal trade between two countries also was to the tune of $1.5 billion per annum which is causing revenue loss and business loss in both the countries.
