Islamabad: Pakistan did not agree to
allow Indian goods to transit through its territory into
Afghanistan during the latest round of talks on a new
Afghan-Pak transit trade agreement.
The issue of allowing Indian goods to transit through
Pakistani territory into Afghanistan could only be discussed
in the composite dialogue with New Delhi, an unnamed Pakistani
official was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
An Afghan official said the issue was a "minor
irritant" and would not derail the talks between Kabul and
Islamabad.
India put the composite dialogue on hold in the wake
of last year`s Mumbai terror attacks and there is little
likelihood of the process being resumed in the near future.
New Delhi has linked the resumption of the talks to
Islamabad taking action against the perpetrators of the worst
terror attack on India`s financial hub last year.
During the fourth round of talks on the
Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement, which began here
yesterday, the two sides agreed to allow trucks to move freely
in each other`s territory. Afghan trucks will now be able to
operate up to the southern port of Karachi while Pakistani
trucks can move across Afghanistan towards Central Asia.
The three major pending issues taken up during the
talks were transit facility, trucking facility and prevention
of smuggling. Relevant authorities in both countries will
finalise their reports on these issues by the end of the talks
on December 21.
An official of Pakistan`s commerce ministry said
changes are "likely to be made in the 1965 Transit Trade
Agreement between Islamabad and Kabul".
PTI
