Neighbourly cooperation: Kabul seeks fast-track cargo clearance

President Ashraf Ghani says good remain stranded for weeks in Karachi

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani has called upon Islamabad to speed up the clearance of goods at Karachi port under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement. The appeal came during the Afghan leader’s recent visit to Pakistan.

Ghani raised the issue during discussions with the high-level team of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He claimed that goods under the said Agreement were stranded for weeks in Karachi, causing losses to the Afghan traders. He requested for speedy and prompt clearance of the goods. Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar assured Ghani that orders will be issued to accommodate the request.

Meanwhile, Ghani has also accepted the offer of Pakistan’s military chief for the training of security agencies of Afghanistan in counter insurgency and counterterrorism. Both sides will start working on the modalities soon. Both sides have also stressed during their meetings that there is a need for transparent sharing of intelligence between the two countries to make counter terrorism efforts effective.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2014.