Pakistan government should allow the transport of NATO containers but with some conditions. The conditions being, that they pay for this transport. They should use local companies for transport with the added condition that big companies should allocate 50 percent of the contract to small private transport companies. A road tax would also be payable which should be used exclusively to construct a heavy transport highway route, avoiding inner cities and villages.
The NATO forces in Afghanistan will be leaving in 2014. This gives the government of Pakistan two years plus one year of moving out, for earning transport and road taxes. It will also give private companies time to grow. It will also allow the construction of a super highway for heavy trucks and some dry ports.
This will help Pakistan earn tax income and will create thousands of jobs. And the reality is that after the NATO forces leave Afghanistan, the country will still require its goods to be transported via Pakistan. And the new Central Asian countries have already started their transport of goods, which would only increase with the completion of the Chinese Railway Line from the Tajikistan border to Pakistan border in Afghanistan. We would require heavy goods transport infrastructure and many experienced companies to continually benefit from this established transport route to Central Asia. This will also help Pakistan jump start the Gwadar Port and generate business from there.
By delaying this decision we are only losing money and prolonging the stay of NATO troops in Afghanistan.
SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER
Peshawar