Early morning Monday, March 13, 2017, The Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Committee on Business/ Trade including members from ACCI, PAJCCI and FPCCI, met with Afghan Ambassador, Mr. Omar Zakhilwal, and briefed him about the repercussions in the Af-Pak relations and the trade losses resulting on both sides of the border in the wake of the Af-Pak border closure, particularly at Torkham and Chaman border points, on February 17, 2017. The Ambassador warmly welcomed the two delegations and appreciated the initiative by CRSS as a timely intervention to bring together the business communities and chambers of the two countries at a time when the transit and bilateral trade had shut down. He extended his full support to the business communities represented at the meeting and stated that the business and trade communities of both the countries can influence and push their respective governments for an early opening of the border points which will open trade again.
The Ambassador stated that Afghanistan’s trade with Pakistan some years ago had stood at $2 billion while with Iran; it was at $200 million. Now Afghanistan’s trade with Pakistan has dropped down to a half $1 billion while with Iran, Afghanistan’s trade has increased to $2.5 billion. The Ambassador stated that, even without the permission of the Afghan Government, he was ready to sign any agreement with the business community and chambers which would improve the trade between the two countries.
Emphasizing on regional connectivity, which was also the theme of the recent Pakistan-hosted ECO Summit where he represented Afghanistan, the Ambassador stated that bilateral trade between the two countries was an essential component if regional connectivity was to be achieved. Closing the Af-Pak border has given India an edge to show and do more for Afghanistan, the Ambassador stated. For instance, after the closure, India recently announced the issuance of fast and free visas for Afghan citizens and to provide special discounted medical services for Afghans that visit India for medical conditions. The Ambassador stated that it was due to his intervention that the Af-Pak border was opened for two days as a result of which 55,000 Afghan citizens were able to return via Torkham and Chaman border points.
The Ambassador insisted that there are many dimensions that bind the two brotherly countries together. Their relationship should not be focused on politics and security alone. Rather it should be managed by people-to-people, civil society, business community, media, youth and university exchanges. While appreciating Pakistan Government’s measures to ensure stringent security control on the border, the Ambassador implored that the border should not be closed which actually closes the people-to-people exchanges.
He went on to uphold that, being an economist, businessman, and a former finance minister in Afghanistan, he recognized that at the end of the day if Pakistan and Afghanistan normalized their bilateral relations, the biggest benefits the two would accrue would be in economics, trade, and business.
While insisting on the opening of the Af-Pak border, the Ambassador stated that, “On behalf of the Afghan government let me clearly say that we have no replacement for Pakistan, it cannot be replaced by any other country. When the relations are eventually improved we will have the best and largest transit and bilateral trade with Pakistan.”
Responding to a question regarding the decline in terrorism after the closure of border, the Ambassador stated that these were mostly false claims. He ended by saying that peace in Afghanistan is vital and important for Pakistan for not only Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan but also Pakistan’s trade with the Central Asian republics, which will increase by 9-10% in GDP instead of the present 4%.
