The Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Trilateral Transit Trade Agreement (PATTTTA) is in doldrums as Kabul is insisting on inclusion of India in the deal, an official source said.
The three neighbouring states had almost reached deal on the draft of the trilateral transit agreement earlier this year. Pakistan had dispatched the said draft to the relevant ministries of Afghanistan and Tajikistan but the matter came to a standstill after the Kabul formally made a demand to include India in the deal.
Kabul has asked Islamabad to reciprocate same facilities to India as it was seeking for its trucks and goods for Tajikistan, the source said. It appears that India was pulling strings from behind, as nobody from Afghan side ever raised the issue of inclusion of India in the trilateral treaty talks, source added.
Inclusion of Tajikistan was made on the desire of the landlocked country that wanted access to Pakistani seaports. Tajikistan’s proposal was dully supported by Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Commerce had made amendments in the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) and forwarded to the relevant governments. The agreement was to be extended to other Central Asian states and provisions in this regards were incorporated. The three states had planned to enhance trade volume up to $5 billion over the next three years after implementation of the agreement.
Officials of three states were discussing Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA), joint business council, multiple visa entry for Pakistani workers, Custom Cooperation Agreement (CCA) and automation of the good declaration at Torkham. However, after the new Afghan demand the trilateral talks have stopped, the source said.
It is important to mention the existing APTTA allows Afghan trucks to carry export cargo to Pakistan seaports and the Wahga border post to India. Afghan trucks were allowed to carry goods from Pakistan to Afghanistan on their return.
