The federal cabinet under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister ofPakistan has extended Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA)for another three months.
The Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement is expiring on 11thFebruary 2021.
Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement was signed on 28th October2010 in Kabul which was effective since 12th February 2011.
APTTA allows Pakistan access to Central Asian Republics via Afghanistan.The agreement allows Afghanistan access to Pakistan, seaports- KarachiPort, Port Qasim, and Gwadar Port. Meanwhile, this agreement grantspermission to landlocked Afghanistan access to Wagah for its exports toIndia.
According to a document available with Propakistani, during the last tenyears, 83,2819 containers of Afghan Transit Trade, carrying goods worth US$33 Billion have passed through Pakistan, as per data compiled by theDirectorate General of Transit Trade, FBR. It is estimated that 30% ofAfghan Transit Trade passes through Pakistan and remaining through Iran,Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan.——————————
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For revision of APTTA, two meetings have been held so far. The 7th APTTCAmeeting was held in Kabul on 16-17 November 2020 and 8th APTTCA meeting inIslamabad, from 28-30th December 2020. During the 8th meeting, it wasagreed by both sides, that, the text of APTTA 2010 will be revised andupdated incorporating the text of proposed amendments, additions, andsuggestions for deleting redundant articles if any.
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In the past, talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan on trade did notsucceed as the former always wanted free movement of Indian goods throughPakistani territory.
Sources told Propakistani that discussions could not conclude due to theunflinching stance of Afghanistan on a few issues including the signing ofan agreement under the WTO framework.
The sources added that the core disagreement, between Pakistan andAfghanistan, was on the wording of one clause of the proposed APTTA:Afghanistan was insisting that it should be minuted in writing that the newAPTTA will be signed under the law and framework of the World TradeOrganization (WTO) which construes free movement of goods including fromIndia through land route. While Pakistan did not accept this condition.
Earlier, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce was informedthat the Pakistani delegation will visit Afghanistan at the end of Januaryor the first week of February but no progress has been witnessed.
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