On December 28, 2019, the Pakistan women-led delegation, headed by Ambassador Tasnim, visited Pakistan Ambassador to Afghanistan, H.E. Zahid Nasrullah’s residence for a meeting and working dinner upon his request in Kabul. Ambassador Nasrullah briefed the delegation on the improved visa policy for Afghans wishing to go to Pakistan, the scholarships provided by Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission for Afghan students whose tests were scheduled to be conducted the next day, and the facilitation in trade extended by the Government of Pakistan.
On a question regarding the meeting with Ms. Kamila Sidiqi when she visited Pakistan, Ambassador Nasrullah stated that Pakistan had offered a waiver exclusively for Afghanistan for regulatory duty of 18% on imports from Afghanistan. While Pakistan had a balance of payments’ issue due to which these regulatory duties had to be imposed but Pakistan exempted Afghanistan from these regulatory duties. Secondly, Pakistan also gave Afghanistan a special exemption to import cotton to Pakistan by land. Afghanistan is the only country with this permission, he pointed out. For all other countries, cotton to Pakistan must come through Karachi port. They produce around 12 million dollars of cotton and Pakistan buys all of it. Pakistan also gifted Afghanistan 40,000 tons of wheat because there was a major drought in Afghanistan in 2018. The meeting also posed as a major icebreaker, Ambassador Nasrullah said.
Ambassador Nasrullah then shared that he was part of a trade and business forum (also convened by CRSS in partnership with PAJCCI) where business leaders from Afghanistan and Pakistan, alongside representatives of Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI) and the Ministry of Commerce, met to discuss issues faced by both countries. He stated that Pakistan has been facilitating the exports of Afghanistan and it is growing quite progressively every year; in 2018, there was 19% growth in their exports and in 2019, it was 23%. In that respect, Pakistan remains Afghanistan’s largest export market. Though, there are some practical difficulties which were discussed at the business forum but they are minor and can be resolved, he added.
In addition, Ambassador Nasrullah stated that Pakistan has made many efforts economically, socially, culturally and for improving people-to-people contact, including building schools and hospitals, in Afghanistan and offering thousands of scholarships to Afghan students across Pakistan. Further, he stated that the only three foreign banks in Afghanistan are all Pakistani banks and they contribute $33 million as income tax to their economy every year.
Ms. Sameena Durrani, stated that it is unfortunate that people do not know the efforts that Pakistan has made in the development of different sectors in Afghanistan. Ms. Mome Saleem inquired if there can be any exchange programs, such as exchange exhibitions, or joint production ventures, between not just the women entrepreneurs but generally, on both sides. Ambassador Nasrullah stated that it would be very important for Afghanistan as they mostly deal with agricultural products; even the thread used in their carpets is prepared in Pakistan as they don’t have the type of water that is required for the thread to be soft, while later weaving is done in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Nasrullah stated that there should be a dialogue in Pakistan on women’s role in the peace process. He suggested that perhaps CRSS could play their role in organizing such a dialogue while the Embassy in Kabul can do the spadework, followed by CRSS inviting the Afghan female members to Pakistan.
Speaking of the trade & business forum earlier in the day, Ambassador Nasrullah pointed out that all the delegates there had been men. Regarding this, Ambassador Aslam asked why a delegation discussing trade, commerce and economic issues, had only been comprised of all men, while there are women chambers of commerce in Pakistan as well. Ms. Sameena Durrani, like Ambassador Aslam, stated that certainly most big businesses are owned by men while women are usually running small cottage industries.
Ambassador Nasrullah then added that there are many advanced businesswomen in Afghanistan who are in contact with the embassy and proposed that they can be made part of the women delegation for peace when it is arranged in Islamabad, as peace is related to economic prosperity. Ambassador Aslam stated that if there will be stakes in business connectivity, then there will be more serious efforts for peace.
Ambassador Nasrullah in the end, suggested that CRSS only needs to share a date with the embassy and set up the program, and the embassy will be ready to bring all female delegates from Afghanistan for a peace conference with Pakistani women leaders in Islamabad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also be on board in this venture.