Cabinet approves Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement

Information minister Kaira says Afghan goods will soon be exported to India through Wagha border under the agreement.

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Information Minister Qamur uz Zaman Kaira has said that the cabinet has approved the Pak-Afghan transit trade agreement.

Briefing the media in Islamabad today (Wednesday), Kaira said  Afghan goods will soon be exported to India through Wagha border under the agreement. However, Indian goods will not be allowed to use the same route across.

Kaira maintained that in return Pakistani businessmen will gain access to Central Asia via Afghanistan. The information minister added that some changes have also been made to facilitate the Afghan traders.

Pakistan and Afghanistan had signed the long-awaited amended transit trade agreement in July, which the United States hoped would help boost cooperation between the neighbours and open more Afghan trade routes to India.

The Punjab Assembly had also earlier voiced criticism of the agreement. Noor Khan Niazi, an MPA from MMA, on a point of order said, “The federal government should not allow India to use Pakistan as a corridor for its Afghan trade.”

Niazi said that the government had allowed India to do so “under pressure from the US”.