Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Trilateral transit trade agreement on the cards

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Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan are likely to sign a trilateral transit trade agreement on the pattern of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), officials told Business Recorder on Saturday. The sources said during meetings with his Afghan and Tajik counterparts on the sidelines of the Chicago-NATO Summit, President Asif Ali Zardari proposed trilateral transit trade agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Both the president agreed to the proposal. President, sources said, has desired that the agreement may be ready for signatures at the fourth quadrilateral Summit to be held in Islamabad. The Summit, has, however, been postponed indefinitely. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had requested that a draft agreement be prepared along the lines of Afghanistan-Pakistan transit trade agreement signed in October for sharing with the governments of both the countries. The sources further stated the proposed agreement had been prepared in consultation with the relevant stakeholders i.e. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Communication, Revenue Division and Ministry of Interior. The agreement has been vetted by the Law and Justice Division. Commerce Ministry had submitted summary to the Cabinet for approval, in principal, to start negotiations. However, Secretary Commerce informed the Cabinet that due to time constraints, approval of Prime Minister has been obtained to start negotiations under rule 16(2) of the Rules of Business 1973. Ex-post facto approval of the Cabinet was therefore, solicited to initiate negotiations for trilateral transit trade agreement amongst Pakistan –Afghanistan and Tajikistan. The countries private sector argues that though Pakistan’s economic relations with Tajikistan were on an upward trajectory yet there was still a rich potential to enhance relations manifold. Both countries have to work harder on the removal of impediments and invest more on building air, road and rail links, besides easing the problems faced by the businessmen of the two countries. Pakistan has been urging Afghanistan to facilitate the opening of a road linkage through the Wakhan corridor as it provides a shorter route to Tajikistan. Both countries are also negotiating CASA-1000 (Central Asia-South Asia) project for the last several years but the project has yet to begin implementation. Under CASA -1000 Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan would supply 1000 MW electricity to Pakistan through Afghanistan, becoming the first energy project connecting Central Asia and South Asia. Afghanistan too will get 300 MW power from the project. In August 2012, Pakistan-Tajikistan held extensive meetings as the latter sought different commodities from Pakistan to deal with its food security issues. Pakistan, on request of Tajikistan had agreed to provide 30,000 tons of white refined sugar through Trading Corporation of Pakistan in compliance with the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet’s decision dated August 7, 2012 at a rate $20 per ton lower than the international market in the wake of humanitarian crisis faced by the people of Tajikistan. The Tajikistan government, while appreciating the goodwill gesture of Government of Pakistan, requested for early delivery of sugar to Tajikistan i.e. before the onset of winter season. Sugar deal, however, has not yet materialised.