Pakistan, Afghanistan finalise trade agreement

ISLAMABAD: After recent negotiations between Islamabad and Kabul, an agreement has been finalised according to which the requirement of visas and passports for border crossing of drivers and support staff for the movement of commercial goods has been removed.

Following the consensus, the agreement has been given the final shape. According to sources, temporary papers will be prepared to facilitate commercial transportation from both sides and visa-free and passport-free system for traders at the border will start from May 1.

According to the sources, the border trade will be done through the banking system and Pakistan and Afghanistan will hand over the final draft to each other for implementation.

It should be noted that this was a long-standing demand from Afghanistan to remove visa and passport requirements for Afghan truck drivers and their crews for road trade and this issue led to controversy and traffic was stopped at the border several times.

The preferential trade agreement is being considered as an important development in the relations between the two countries.