Following NSA Moeed Yusuf’s two-day visit to Afghanistan, it has been announced that Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to form a high-level committee to address border issues. The establishment of a national-level coordination mechanism will enhance facilitation at border crossing points and will also expedite ongoing negotiations to conclude a new trade agreement.
The statements regarding cooperation over the border mechanism are encouraging given the recent controversy caused by videos that were circulating from the Afghan side and the unfortunate rhetoric that ensued. All in all, based on the reports, this was a fruitful visit at a critical time where the two sides discussed the brewing humanitarian crisis and proposals to deepen bilateral economic engagement.
Though the 2010 Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) expired on February 11, hopes are high about a new agreement being reached soon. Earlier on January 18, Pakistani Commerce Minister Abdul Razak Dawood revealed that the two sides are quite close to signing transit trade and trucking agreements that would facilitate Pakistani access to Central Asian markets.
There were other positives during the visit as well, as the two sides agreed to focus on social sector support and to initiate barter trade. Additionally, commitment to major connectivity projects such as CASA-1000, TAPI, and the Trans-Afghan Rail projects was also reiterated. Of course, the viability of these will be contingent on the security situation, but the successful realisation of these projects will be extremely beneficial for the economic stabilisation of Afghanistan.
Most important however, is the conversation surrounding security issues. The assurance from the Deputy Afghan Prime Minister that Afghan soil will not be used against its neighbours is welcome, however, these words will have to be backed up with action since this has been promised in the past as well.
Since the Taliban takeover, there has been a spike in attacks conducted by the TTP—whose leadership is said to be based in Afghanistan. This is something that we will have to keep on the forefront of the agenda going forward because Pakistan’s internal security is of the utmost importance, and given the sacrifices we have made over the years to fight the menace of terrorism, we cannot afford to lose any more precious lives.
Source: Published in The Nation