Business
Pakistan ‘disappointed’ over President Ghani’s remarks : Zakaria
Officials in Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan said we are disappointed with the recent remarks of the Afghanistan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on closing the transit route to Central Asia if Islamabad continues to annoy the Afghan traders by closing the Wagah port to Afghanistan for the transit of goods to India.
Meanwhile officials in Afghanistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it’s better that Pakistan to focus on its commitments which are fighting terrorism and declare itself as honest to the world.
Tensions rose between the two countries when Pakistan closed Wagah port to Afghan businessmen and in reverse President Ashraf Ghani has warned Pakistan for closing the transit route to Central Asia.
Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Nafees Zakaria said,” “Our efforts for peace, stability and economic progress of Afghanistan are a matter of our commitment to the brotherly people of Afghanistan, millions of that have been hosted in Pakistan for past 37 years. Under a transit trade agreement between the two countries, Pakistan has been extending all facilities for transit of Afghan exports and imports through Pakistan’s ports. We have also been facilitating the transit of Afghan fruits to India through Wagah.”
It seems that Afghan President decision doesn’t get changed against Pakistan simply.
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said,” The 3rd party policy doesn’t have to avoid Afghanistan- India to increase their business deals, we change the ground route into the air, certain air companies will increase the mutual trades of Afghanistan- India by transferring goods.”
Officials in Ministry of Foreign Affairs still accused Pakistan for not being honest about peace and stability of Afghanistan.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Spokesman Khairullah Azad said,” Afghanistan’s policy is clear towards any countries, what important is that Pakistan should be honest, and declare itself as honest country to the world.”
However Political expert Ahmad Saiedi said,” Pakistan doesn’t any documents indicating that the following country is trying to stabilize and help peace to be ensured in Afghanistan, their recent remarks is a truly false.”
Meanwhile political parties have declared the recent policy of the Afghan Government against Pakistan is admirable, saying Pakistan is being directed into the isolation, and Afghan Government doesn’t have to change its policy towards Pakistan.
Reported by Ali Asghari
Pakistani officials have announced that consultations are underway with stakeholders on preferential trade agreements with Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.
According to Dawn newspaper, the issue was announced on Friday in a meeting on trade chaired by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
In the meeting, the strict monitoring of Afghan Transit Trade was also emphasized.
Pakistani officials have not provided further details on preferential trade with Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi has said that talks with neighboring countries have started for the export of fresh fruit this year.
Azizi added that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce wants the country’s fresh fruit to be exported to Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Iran in addition to Pakistan.
Members of the private sector call on the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to step up efforts to find new markets for Afghan exporters.
“We ask the authorities to determine the export routes before the harvesting season. We should find new markets instead of Pakistan. There is capacity for Afghanistan’s exports in the region, and action should be taken in this regard,” said Mirwais Hajizada, the deputy of Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock.
Economic experts say that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce should hold talks with Iran and Uzbekistan in addition to Pakistan for Afghanistan’s exports.
“There are many opportunities to sell our products in markets other than Pakistan. I hope the authorities will think about this. Grounds should be paved to access the markets of South Asia and the Gulf countries through Iran, and the markets of Central Asia through Uzbekistan,” said Mohammad Nabi Afghan, an economic expert.
Members of the private sector say that although Pakistan is the closest and largest market for Afghanistan’s dry and fresh fruits, doing business with it has always been challenging.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to early implementation of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railways project which will boost trade within the region.
In a statement issued by Pakistan’s foreign office after a meeting in Islamabad between visiting Foreign Minister of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, the project “would give boost to bilateral and regional trade and become a bridge between South and Central Asia.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also met with Saidov and emphasized the importance of the railway project and Pakistan’s commitment to its early completion.
Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan had in February 2021 agreed to build a railway line across Afghanistan to connect Central Asia with Pakistani ports at an estimated cost of $4.8bn.
The railway project, spanning 760 kms, is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027, with the capability to transport up to 15 million tonnes of goods annually by 2030.
This rail link will notably decrease cargo delivery time between Uzbekistan and Pakistan by around five days, while also slashing transportation costs by at least 40 percent.
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