Pakistan

Pakistan needs to block India’s move to become regional sheriff

Afghan, India and Iran combination could hit China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Faran Mahmood May 01, 2016

File photo shows an aerial view of Chabahar port in southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Balochistan. PHOTO: IRNA

ISLAMABAD:

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project has been mired with cost squabbles in political waters. But amid all this controversy over the CPEC route, New Delhi is rushing to seal deal after inking an MoU with Iran for extending a $150 million loan to develop its Chabahar port.

India plans to lease two docks for a decade that would give it access to Afghanistan and Central Asian energy markets – bypassing Pakistan. Moreover, in collaboration with Tehran and Moscow, India is looking to create a vast network of enhanced connectivity with the land-locked Central Asia and eventually Europe, through the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

India’s unhealthy obsession with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Indian calculus on Pakistan

New Delhi is following a policy of ‘twin track’ by engaging Pakistan’s neighbours but circumventing Pakistan in trade partnerships; and at the same time, maintaining good ties with its civilian leadership. India is playing a similar ‘minus 1’ card in Saarc and now is looking for new regional groupings beyond South Asia.

But will the Chabahar agreement be a ‘real’ game changer and a direct threat to CPEC? Or like Saarc, the triangle would fall prey to Indian’s hegemony?

Yes and maybe. Designated as a free trade zone on the gulf of Oman, Chabahar is a direct competitor to Gwadar. However Indian-Iranian relations have no long-standing history of amity and harmony and as recent as 2014, Iran increased import duty on Indian rice from 10% to 45% while revoking visa-on-arrival for Indian citizens.

Now the deal between Tehran and P-5+1 (US, Russia, China, UK, France and Germany) over its nuclear programme has helped break the ice between the two countries and Modi’s government is now all set to steer the course of regional dynamics.

Iran could use this as an opportunity to grab oil market share from the Saudi-led OPEC, while the Iranian gas would help India diversify its energy mix. Indian companies are also ready to invest more than $20 billion in Iranian oilfields and petrochemical plants.

The deal will also give Afghanistan an alternate port for fulfilling its maritime needs and shall decrease Islamabad’s influence on its foreign policy. Afghan imports through Karachi port have already declined by more than 40% in Feb 2016 and according to estimates, Afghan-Indian trade volume could increase by a four-fold if modalities of a trilateral agreement materialise.

Weighing in on benefits: Implementing transit fee on CPEC routes

Previously in 2009, India built the “Route 606” to bypass Pakistan for commercial trade at a cost of $150 million. The road connects to the Iranian city Zabol whereas construction work on a Chabahar-Milak-Zaranj-Dilaram route from Iran to Afghanistan is already in progress.

Pakistan’s strategy

There is a need to advance comprehensive trade reforms for sustaining macroeconomic growth and to stop India from becoming a regional sheriff. The post-sanctions era in Iran presents multiple opportunities for Pakistan but pursuing them requires deep understanding of Iran’s complex social, economic and geo-political issues. At present, Pakistan needs to adopt a two-pronged strategy, at a national as well as regional level, to counter Indian threats and emerging geo-political challenges.

At a national level, Pakistan needs to assuage the concerns of smaller provinces whereas political parties need to show maturity and ownership of the CPEC programme. Stakeholders need a full agenda of shared objectives to start with.

At the regional level, the mistrust between India and Pakistan has prevented Saarc to become a model of regional cooperation like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Trade under South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) is a mere 5% of South Asia’s total trade volume which is not very promising.

India approves $150 million Chabahar port plan in Iran

Pakistan needs to lobby with small states of Saarc and negotiate e-visa arrangements with states like Sri Lanka and Maldives that are popular tourist destinations. The Beijing-Islamabad axis is not a substitute to regional partnerships and Pakistan needs more cooperative relationships with its neighbours.

Pakistan also needs to sort out its differences with Afghanistan. India has not only shown keen interest in the development of Afghanistan’s natural wealth but has actually delivered on numerous infrastructure projects including the Salma dam and the Afghan parliament building. More than 10,000 Afghan students have studied in India on scholarships in the last decade. Public opinion polls confirm overwhelmingly favourable sentiments for New Delhi.

Islamabad should support Afghan government in developing its agricultural, livestock and industrial sectors.

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The writer is a Cambridge graduate and is working as a management consultant

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2016.

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COMMENTS (62)

PK | 8 years ago | Reply Well, @tellmore:, after reading the responses to your comment, I would say may be you need to open your attire a little bit to show the satire underneath.

Anthony | 8 years ago | Reply @tellmore: You are talking as if these 'small countries' (Srilanka, Nepal , Maldievs etc) are willing to talk with pakistan. Not at all! They will listen to you only if you have something good to offer them, and pakistan has Nothing! Pakistan itself living on foreign aid with huge debt, crippled economy, poverty, illiteracy, terrorism and list goes on. Only having military and nukes wont help you here. The fact is Pakistan itself is in the league of these 'small countries' but doesnt realise that. Pakistan might expect the same stature where India and China are but fact is, on international forum world sees you in the same stature as smaller country like bhutan, nepal, sri lanka etc. Again nukes wont help here. Secondly, Pakistan has no control on Taliban in fact its other way round. Comparing free pakistani madarssa education with Indian eduction itself is a big joke. Even afghanis know this. Madarssa is not education its brainwashing, we are taliking about 'real' education here not about some mulla imposing his ideology on children. Thirdly, I hope you know what had happened when you tried to 'take care' of Bangladeshis in 1971, you are doing same with Baloch people. What do you expect? Its foolish to think your so called muslim ummah will help you. Ummah is only in books not in reallity. :)

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g | 8 years ago | Reply Mean while in Pakistan ......

sngs | 8 years ago | Reply @tellmore: Warn countries, Forget it. What is your worth? Saudi and China pay for your daily expenses.

sngs | 8 years ago | Reply @Maria: Well money is not an issue. By the way India has already committed $20 billions in various projects in chabahar. India has the capacity to invest more than the $150 million also. India is not like you people who are dependent on Chinese money. India is already third largest investor in UK. My advice to you people is stop comparing yourself with India.

someone | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistanis has bought this lottery ticket called "CPEC" thinking it will hit the jackpot. I think they should pray 10 times a day that they do hit the jackpot because they have put all their bets on it. Given the history of Chinese though, its hard to get money from them and since they are the ones selling this "lottery ticket" to Pakistanis, I wonder if Pakistanis understand the Chinese at all.

Bharat | 8 years ago | Reply @Kabuluwala: Chabhaar is going to make Afghanistan a major trade transit hub. I don't know about others but, all Indian goods will be exported to or imported from Central Asian countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, will go through transit in Kandhar/Kabul in Afghanistan. Our Afghani brothers shall be able to stand on their own feet in few years.

Kabuluwala | 8 years ago | Reply Dear friend India, congratulations for conquering Central Asia's markets and freeing Afghanistan from the web of pakisatan by creating a trade rout through Port of Chahbahar.

XoF | 8 years ago | Reply The author seems to be of generalizing towards India..but in reality...CPEC in realism is so ambitious and practicle that Indian plans are still on paper. Pakistan dsnt care about Afg or Indian trade as the author is forcing the reader to imagine..it needs it economy to move ahead. So Indians thinking it of insecurity..well take it as opposite as it has always been. We left you becauase we dont care what you do as long as we arent messed with. Pakistan for the first time has made a great leap and made big choices in its history that InshaAllah have started to reap for its future. Young country wih Talaneted attractive youth will be great for the entire region. India can have their charbahar...its their right to do trade like Pakistan.

brar | 8 years ago | Reply I remember a joke where he helped a dying man and the God was happy and came to him and said, I will give you any thing you ask bu there is a condition that your neighbor will get twice that you get. he thought for a while and said make my one eye blind same is the case with Pakistan they never think what is in their interest but think how can it damage India. Good luck Pakistan don,t change the track.

Maria | 8 years ago | Reply @Vectra: Let India spend billions developing Chahbahar because the fundamental issue is that it will never be effective as Gwadar. The geography is completely different. Grader is a deep sea port with many advantages. Chahbahar is not. As a Pakistani, I wish all the best for Chahbahar Port development but I know that CPEC and Gwadar will be a game changer for Pakistan which is why India is so active working with its puppet state of Afghanistan to harm Pakistan in Gwadar. Afghanistan not using Pakistani ports and roads is actually better for us since all that seems to come from there is drugs, smuggling and refugees. Pakistan doesn't need more of that. Remember, any goods to Iranian Port still have to take a boat ride to make it to India. It's not the same and never will be so let the Indians waste their money! 150 million is nothing to develop a real port.

Arijit Sharma | 8 years ago | Reply Here is Pakistan's problem - over-estimating its importance to the world and not accepting India's civilisational role in the world.

Titan | 8 years ago | Reply this mentality is exactly why Pakistan will never succeed as a nation. Instead of looking to make progress of its own, its looking the block the progress of India. It has never worked & it never will. India will keep rising & you will keep plotting and failing.

Buzzkill | 8 years ago | Reply The author is suggesting what Pakistan has been doing since its inception - Cutting off its nose to spite its face. Pakistan can gain enormous amount of revenues if it opens up its land route to India but instead its still trying to block India. The CPEC is going to fail miserably while Chabahar will flourish. Pakistanis will be left with nothing but a bill from the Chinese & smoke from the obsolete coal power plants which they install in Pakistan.

WhatAnIdea | 8 years ago | Reply Look at the tone of this article to understand why Pakistan fails as a nation: Essentially, the author is saying "My neighbor is becoming successful by taking efforts and working hard. I refuse to do either, but I think I am entitled to the same things that he is. Since I do not want to work as hard to be successful, let me at least prevent him from being a success. The world owes me and I am entitled to seek rent based on where I am." The essential thing to realize is that the world refuses to wait for you to change your attitude. India will advance - with you, without you and inspite of you.

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply @mohan: Afghanistan also imports through Karachi, the said regulations are applied only on imports. And this this doesn't violate international laws concerning land locked countries using other countries ports.

HZR | 8 years ago | Reply @Ad: Practical comment.it is china which is stimulating paksitan to react so.Both nations are heavy losers and China is gainer.look at its trade balances to understand this.Positive with both nations.on relationship negative which suits China!

mohan | 8 years ago | Reply @sabi: lol what you said about karachi port shipments, karachi port usage to export the products of afgan to the world, not for the use of pak.

ramdar | 8 years ago | Reply The author needs to read all the comments on his article. Some would be eye opener for him. Even legitimate & rightful actions of India are being questioned by his biased mind. Such negative thinking has already hurt & isolated Pakistan.

Ayush | 8 years ago | Reply @Umair Sulheri: India is doing it to counter Chinese influence(like Chinese submarines or navy) in Indian ocean. It's not for pakistan. What do u think would be the harm to India with cpec. Tell if if there are any

np | 8 years ago | Reply "India plans to lease two docks for a decade that would give it access to Afghanistan and Central Asian energy markets – bypassing Pakistan." The reason India needs to bypass Pakistan is because Pakistan chose to deny transit to India. "India is playing a similar ‘minus 1’ card in Saarc and now is looking for new regional groupings beyond South Asia." Please review what happened in the last SAARC meeting in Kathmandu. All countries had agreed on an energy treaty except Pakistan, same thing about trade. Why should rest of the SAARC countries put their economic trajectories on hold due to Pakistani obsession with Kashmir? "Pakistan also needs to sort out its differences with Afghanistan." Indeed it should. Have you wondered why Ghani who started his government with a strong pro-Pakistani mindset is now in the same mindset as his predecessor? BEcause of Pakistani deception pretending that it was helping to negotiate with Mullah Omar when it knew full well that Mullah Omar is dead. Due to Pakistan failure to crack down on Afghan Taliban despite promises made by Pakistani COAS and PM. "The deal will also give Afghanistan an alternate port for fulfilling its maritime needs and shall decrease Islamabad’s influence on its foreign policy. " Alternative port NOR alternate port. Anyway, you complain that you will not be able to blackmail land locked Afghanistan because it will now have an option and then have the cheek to call India a regional sherriff? This port is beneficial to Afghanistan, India and Iran who are all sovereign coutnries. How can Pakitan block the Chabahar port?

tatvavetta | 8 years ago | Reply India will have a solution for every problem Pakistan creates for India. You sent infiltrators in Kashmir in 1947 to take Kashmir forcibly , Operation Gibrator in 1965, Khalistan separatists trained in Pakistan in 1980, terrorists attacks on Mumbai, Parliament of India and in Kashmir all failed. Please try and block economic growth of India, international diplomatic endeavours of India and face failures as in the past. Concentration economic welfare of Pakistani citizens will be better than blocking India and her efforts.

Apoorv Swarup | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan alone boycotted the Motor Vehicles Pact in SAARC and intends to do it again this time around and cries foul when other countries decide to proceed forward despite its childish behavior. India has every right to pursue regional alliances to grow its business and trade opportunities with or without Pakistan. If the author considers that to be akin to a regional sheriff then that would only be his misplaced sense of insecurity. Do keep in mind we wouldn't be building Chabahar Port if Pakistan allowed for free movement of goods from India onward to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

tatvavetta | 8 years ago | Reply Why should not Chabahar be an important port in the region which offers advantage to Iran and Afghanistan. Pakistan wants to dominate Afghanistan and Iran and all other Muslim ulema. On basis of its nuclear capabilities Pakistan wants to dominate its neighbours and wants to develop itself at the cost of its neighbours like Afghanistan and Iran. How under such circumstances Pakistan expect improvement in relationship with Afghanistan and Iran?

Srinivasulu Mekala | 8 years ago | Reply "Cambridge graduate and is working as a management consultant". God bless Cambridge and God bless management science in Pakistan for producing such a brilliant scholar as this author. I wish every Pakistani holds the same views so that our job as Indians becomes easy and accomplished. And thank you for acknowledging the possibility of India becoming the regional sheriff. Frankly speaking what else can we pray for but this attitude of Pakistanis. One small doubt, what would Pakistan as a nation and ordinary Pakistani get by preventing India from becoming a regional sheriff? Kashmir? A war victory? Or the regional sheriffgiri for Pakistan? I doubt that possibility.

tatvavetta | 8 years ago | Reply The author does not understand that if Pakistan and India ,has a friendly relationship then India may not look for friends elsewhere. India will like everybody else look for opportunities for trade world wide. Pakistan if keeps on looking at India as an enemy and keeps on blocking every move of India , India shall reciprocate appropriately. Pakistan should weigh cost and benefits of enmity with India and decide her strategies. Your all-weather friend China has taken part of Kashmir from Pakistan and has taken control of Gwadar as a cost of technology transfer and financial aid.Pakistan should also weigh cost and benefits of friendship with China. Some of these costs will be irreversible and unrecoverable.

Ul Logical | 8 years ago | Reply @Tellmore; simply a magnificent strategy mate! now why on earth is paki not executing it; warn Afghanistan, use the mucular muscle against chabahar, exit saarc, f16 the balochis; fantastic .. now this is what one would term really really out of the box thinking..you forgot one thing; paki taxi drivers on cpec; gazillions to be made and also customs every 20 km on cpec ; more gazillions. well done mate; great job thinking.!!

Abdul basit | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan need to focuss on its internal issues which are spoiling a great project of CPEC,then pakistan will be able to give much output on international platforms. Recently the KPK govt refused to give land to the CPEC bcoz their rights are being swallowed and changes are made in the routes according to the desires of SHERIF'S.

khalid | 8 years ago | Reply @sabi: well said,god bless

Ul Logical | 8 years ago | Reply Paki must use its mucular capability at chahbahar port.

quatro | 8 years ago | Reply How does Pakistan block India from building a relationship with Iran or anybody else? Seems to me that Pakistan shot itself in the foot when it decided that India couldn't use Pakistan as transit corridor.

Ul Logical | 8 years ago | Reply @ HBK: Except china nobody gives dam about pak.....sorry mate, china also does not give dam; keeps all dams to itself.

Borhan Ahmed | 8 years ago | Reply To become regional leader. you need money power which Pakistan lacks very badly. It is really rediculus for somebody who is surviving on American money to even think of stopping India to become regional power. Pakistan should not forget that India is the third largest economy in the world and it should come to terms to the reality that India is the next Big thing happening to the new world order. Say Ameen.

Np | 8 years ago | Reply @Someone: If India wants to trade with central asian countries and Pakistan refuses to allow transit, what is India's option?

Pakistan | 8 years ago | Reply @Ad: I understand you wish to run your business not a country. Pakistan has suffered and is suffering at the hands of a businessman who has no love lost for Pakistan. Only business on his mind and keeps all his money abroad.

PK | 8 years ago | Reply With this negative mindset, Pakistan is going nowhere. Even USA is starting to rework its strategy in the region. With hostile neighbours all around, and doubtful master across the world, time has come to think, and think hard. But, unfortunately this nation is neither allowed nor capable of thinking. All they have is the belief, the belief of being the best and thus victim of jealousy from all around. Author is a typical of intellectuals, analysts, and proud patriots that are having a good time at the cost of sufferings of millions.

tellmore | 8 years ago | Reply What Pakistan need to do is- come out of SAARC and independently develop relations with all the smaller countries in the region like Srilanka, Nepal , Maldievs etc with whom India do not have good relations. Next thing what Pakistan has to do is - to see strictly warn Afghanistan not to go ahead with India to Chhabahar. Since Pakistan has great influence on Taliban, they can be used to stop the Afghanistan - Iran road and traffic. If this road from Afghanistan to Iran are blocked, then Chhabahar will fail. For trade and financial help, muslim ummah in the form of KSA and UAE are there to support the only islamic nuclear power. Nobody can stop CPEC and baluchis who are opposing CPEC are already sorted out by the valiant Pak Army. If any body is left, those people will be taken care through the F16s being supplied by US. So pakistan has a great future with CPEC, since it starts buzzing with the sounds of Chinese vehicles transporting goods from China to different parts of the world, Pakistan can make good amount of money in the form of trasit fees and other incientals from the vehicle drivers. So no need to worry about income to Pakistan and trade. Further, to ward off Afghan students from Indian colleges, Pakistani Madarasas should offer free education to all Afghan students so that they can have sufficient islamic scholars to take the Jihad forward.

Menon | 8 years ago | Reply Few basic things are necessary for any strategic partnership to work: Stable government Rule of law Economic capability to participate equally Consistency, Trust and reliability Pakistan has none of the above so whatever projects Pakistan takes up is doomed to fail. Author is funny when states, "However Indian-Iranian relations have no long-standing history of amity and harmony" when all of it has existed between India and Iran for thousands of years and Iran always had better and stable relationship with India than with Pakistan. As always, mian problem with Pakistan is, its inability to admit truth and penchant to twist truth and believe in it.

Jameel ur Rasheed | 8 years ago | Reply What a fuss. Pakistan has already devised a decisive strategy to counter any anti-Pakistan strategy hatched anywhere in the world. As part of our decisive strategy we will construct 10 new metro bus services in Lahore and would add more colors intra-city train system. Only after we have successfully secure Lahore we can move towards securing other cities and ports of Pakistan including Gwadar. So for now, we need focus. Lahore is our focus.

Vectra | 8 years ago | Reply Frankly speaking Pakistan can do little to stop India from making inroads to Afghanistan and Central Asia through Chabahar because much has already be done by India,too much diplomacy,too much negotiations and too much investments and too much efforts have gone to Chabahar and it is naive to think of stopping India now especially after waking up from long sleep and say suddenly "Hey stop".This is not how things work and Pakistan is too late now.

Pakistani Man | 8 years ago | Reply @sabi: How do you quantify for Afghanistan their internal consumption. To be honest this is not the solution, if Pakistan really wants to find solution to that problem why not to put some measures in place for the goods not to be smuggled to Pakistan. There is a huge demand for smuggled goods within Pakistan that is why they are pumped in and Pakistan should put an end to that demand as well by taking appropriate measures. Have proper border management within neighbors etc.

Someone | 8 years ago | Reply One wonders why India is so overzealous about reaching Afghanistan. It's not like the meagre Afghan-Indo trade is worth trillions or as if both countries depend on each other's imports and exports. The numbers show opposite in fact.

vasan | 8 years ago | Reply India is developing alternate trade routes to Central asia and Afganistan via Iran. India is striking trade agreements with Srilanka Bhutan etc on a one to one basis now that Pak is holding SAARC to ransom on Kashmir issue. Pak is also refusing to sign transit trade agreements with India for trade with Afganistan. So India is developing alternate routes. Where is India trying to become regional sheriff in this. Why is Pak trying to see Indias efforts for better trade as a move for becoming a sheriff

Ravi | 8 years ago | Reply If only Pakistan could come out of its insecurity and allow Indian trucks to reach Afghanistan through Wagah.

Shakti | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan can try.

pakistani bloach | 8 years ago | Reply We dont need to worry about trade as we have vast mulim ummah with us.they can import everything from pakistan what they import from rest of the world.our trade is going to be trillions of dollars soon with ummah( being sarcastic). we need to do what is good for people if pakistan not for china or saudi arabia. lets be realistic and forget kashmir because its not going to happen as no country even muslim ummah is with us. Jow hard it is for ummah to boycott india to force them to resolve kashmir. 2nd. good to have friends like china but here we are becoming like a guard dog for china. we are not being realistic and its hurting poor people of pakistan.

Rahul | 8 years ago | Reply As long as Pakistan's agenda is "block this & that so that we will have easier access" instead of "let's work harder to make ourselves more competitive" they're always doomed to fail.

Khalid Farooq | 8 years ago | Reply The writer has not addressed the main issue which is Indian trade with Afghanistan via Pakistan which Pakistan refused recently. Afghans as a sovereign nation have a right to buy whatever they want from whoever they want. And we have left them no choice but to bypass us completely.

Sodomite | 8 years ago | Reply Our leadership's interest is money laundering. That's the be all of our foreign policy. Do you really think that NS has any idea where Gwader is??

HBK | 8 years ago | Reply USA has blocked f16 planes supply to Pak, Putin and other big leaders are hesitating to visit Pak....except China no body gives dam about Pak

anand singh | 8 years ago | Reply The insecurity complex that led to the birth of Pakistan remains and is evident in the contents of this write up. India is developing with or without Pakistan while Pak remains mired in the ghosts of the past. Surely , like Pakistan india has a right to exercise it's options in improving it's trade and positions viz a viz regional states. The author sadly sees this as being a Sheriff !! Pak has a unidirectional approach to development while IIndia exercises multiple options. This is something Pakistanis cannot comprehend.

Prada | 8 years ago | Reply India will out flank and outmaneuver Pakistan with ease. India has more international equity that Pak. Pak like N.Korea only have China whose economy is already on the same -ccoked up numbers notwithstanding.

Tyggar | 8 years ago | Reply Yes Pakistan should block India, after all That's the reason for Pakistan's existence

rich | 8 years ago | Reply New Delhi is following a policy of ‘twin track’ by engaging Pakistan’s neighbours but circumventing Pakistan in trade partnerships you have to ask the question why india is doing the above? Pakistan is not ready to speak of trade route to Afghanistan from wagah border , they want india to trade from Karachi port, eg load in indian cities, take it to a port in india, load on ships, take it to Karachi port, unload, load on trucks and drive it to Afghanistan so customa check on indian port then Karachi port and then againn on afghan Pakistan border Pakistan does not want to give us land route till maybe kashmir is resolved, and use it to make us give concession, without caring for afghan needs nor india need to trade so india cannot wait, has to find alternate, india is forced to use chabar

Raghavan | 8 years ago | Reply "Pakistan needs to lobby with small states of Saarc and negotiate e-visa arrangements with states like Sri Lanka and Maldives that are popular tourist destinations." Mr Faran, Go and check how much billion dollars india has invested in Srilanka. Also check yearly how many million people of india go to srilanka as tourists. You Cant match us. To improve the tourists, India is planning a bridge to connect tow countries.

Imran | 8 years ago | Reply Excellent analysis! India's interest in Chahbahar and Afghanistan is only to weaken and continuously pressure Pakistan.

Umair Sulheri | 8 years ago | Reply Yes, seems like Pakistan is gonna lose its strategic importance if this International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) becomes a real thing. PS: wow ET has got lot of Indian audience

vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan is most strategically located nation in the world and in south asia, then why this insecurity? Most of the Pakistani dont even consider Afghanistan as a sovereign nation and blame India for any afghan policies.

R Subramanian | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan's major neighbouring countries are India and Afghan, in that Pakistan considers Afghanistan as strategic depth country and considers India as enemy. Pakistan never cares to improve the relationship with these countries in real sense. Until Pakistan changes its strategic depth and enmity with India mindset, there won't be any real peace in the region. Pakistan has to accept the reality and take the decisions.

Aslam Ghani | 8 years ago | Reply Yea right, Pakistan desperately needs to improve its ties with all neighbours esp Iran and Afghanistan

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply '"Afghan imports through Karachi port have already declined by more than 40% in Feb 2016 and according to estimates, '' And we have 40% less smuggled goods by virtue of that decline in imports. The reason is according to new regulations imposed by Pakistan Afghanistan is bound to declare the amount as well the nature of import. Any excessive import that doesn't tally with that country domestic needs authorizes Pakistan to seize the shipment. This has helped. This has helped Pakistan curb smuggled goods coming from Afghanistan.

Ad | 8 years ago | Reply Formulating Pakistan policies to affect India or counter India, has caused lot of losses already. It has not helped Pakistan in anyways. For god sake think how to improve pakistan's trade with regional countries and not to hurt what India is doing to enhance theirs. A Sherrif wont make great business, a wise business man does.

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