Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has threatened to shut the Afghan transit route for Pakistani exports to Central Asia if Islamabad does not allow Afghan traders to use Lahore’s Wagah border for trade with India. President Ghani said this in a meeting with UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Owen Jenkins in Kabul. Furthermore, he said that Afghanistan is no more a landlocked country as it has many transit routes for the import and export of goods. The remarks came amid tension that exists between the two neighbours over several issues, and particularly in the backdrop of Pakistan’s decision to introduce a new mechanism at its Torkham border that requires every Afghan to carry passport and visa for crossing the border. He added that Afghanistan was making efforts to boost economic cooperation in the region, and wanted Pakistan and other regional countries to remove all technical problems that create obstacles in economic cooperation.
With the construction of Chabahar port in Iran, the reliance of Afghanistan on Pakistan would decrease, and Pakistan would have to cautiously act under these circumstances. Pakistan should be careful while responding to the statement of the Afghan president. While Pakistan has apprehensions regarding India, it cannot dictate terms with Afghanistan, which is a sovereign country and has every right to formulate policies as it sees fit. Furthermore, there is no denying the fact that the tensions between Pakistan and India have marred the growth of the whole South Asian region. The lacklustre performance of SAARC is the prime example of the hindrance to the growth of the region.
While there will be voices raised regarding Afghanistan’s tilt towards India, Pakistan should also realise its mistakes of not cashing in the opportunity to improve relations with the Afghan government, especially when President Ghani visited Pakistan following his election. While India has its interests in the region, it is also investing in the war-torn country. This is evident from its investment in the widespread network of roads and dams as well as the Chabahar port in Iran.
Amid all the tensions, both Islamabad and New Delhi should realise the importance of trade, and its benefit to the people of both countries. Improving trade relations could actually prove to be the stepping-stone for the resolution of the outstanding issues, as the dependence of both countries on each other would increase. Furthermore, the cooperation between Pakistan and India would be necessary if the region is to develop as a whole. While India needs to concede some ground on the power balance in the region, Pakistan should also address the longstanding problems of terrorism to improve the situation in the region.
The other SAARC members should mediate between Pakistan and India to focus on the development of the region as a whole rather than siding with any of the two countries. http://dailytimes.com.pk/editorial/11-Sep-16/ghani-warns-pakistan
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