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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Pakistan, Afghanistan agree not to trade barbs

Aziz tells Afghanistan to shun anti-Pak actions; says CPEC can play ‘transformative role’ for region

By our correspondents
September 05, 2015
ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan and Pakistan on Friday agreed not to issue statements against each other as Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz asserted that Afghanistan should stop taking anti-Pakistan moves.
He also addressed the ministerial meeting of the sixth edition of Regional Economic Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) in Kabul. Pakistan reached out to Afghanistan on Friday, assuring the Afghan leadership that Pakistan reiterates its firm support for constructive contribution towards regional and international processes for reconstruction, development and progress of Afghanistan.
Pakistan has also once again reiterated its commitment to facilitating an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation process while further steps have to be decided by the Afghans themselves.
“Pakistan fully supports Afghanistan’s forward-looking and progressive vision and the plans for regional connectivity. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) can also play a transformative role not only for Pakistan but for the region as a whole. Once implemented, the CPEC will provide a competitive transit route for trade between western China, which is undergoing rapid development, Central Asia and Afghanistan,” Aziz said at the RECCA.
Some military officials are also part of Aziz’s delegation.
In his address, Aziz also mentioned that Pakistan is working on a number of cross-border and trans-regional connectivity projects, including infrastructure, road/rail and energy, and promotion of trade and investment.
“These projects include some under the RECCA framework and some are on the bilateral plan. We have expedited work on rail connectivity projects, including Peshawar-Jalalabad and Chaman-Spinboldak rail links between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said.
“Besides, Pakistan is also working on the feasibility study for the Peshawar-Kabul Motorway. The stalled work on Torkham-Jalalabad additional carriageway has started and is expected to be completed by December 2016. We are committed to extending these road networks to Central Asia.”
Significant breakthroughs on CASA-1000 and TAPI gas pipeline projects have put these projects on a fast-track. “We are hoping to finalise the remaining issues in the coming months. We are also considering collaboration with Afghanistan in hydropower generation at Kunar River and a joint venture in petroleum sector,” the adviser noted.
Besides agreeing to increase the volume of bilateral trade, Pakistan and Afghanistan have undertaken to remove impediments to the full implementation of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APPTA). In this connection, the fifth meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APPTCA) was held in Islamabad on 1-2 January 2015, which positively resolved a number issues relating to the implementation APTTA.
Pakistan is also focusing on harmonisation/simplification of practices, business friendly visa regimes, regulations, legislations and agreements in the areas of trade and transit which facilitate the flow of goods and services, greater public-private partnership and enhanced people-to-people contacts. The Government of Pakistan has also decided to accede to the TIR Convention. This will facilitate promotion of trade between the two countries and the region.
“We are committed to enhancing our assistance for training of Afghan civil servants including diplomats and police. We would also impart training to doctors, paramedical staff, teachers, postal, banking, railways, customs and civil aviation officials,” Sartaj Aziz told the meeting.
To a query at the Foreign Office why the United States is holding the CSF hostage to uprooting the Haqqani network from Pakistan, the spokesman said that the CSF is an expenditure incurred by Pakistanb before the commencement of Operation Zarb-e-Azb. “The issue of reimbursement is being discussed with the US side,” he added.