KARACHI: Pakistan expedites its effort to establish Central Asia, a free trade zone region linking other countries, including Afghanistan. The 11th Joint Economic Commission meeting will be held in March in Kabul where Pakistan will ask Afghanistan to revise agreement of Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
According to the sources in Directorate General of Afghan Transit Trade, Pakistan for making Central Asian as a free trade Zone has initially planned to include Tajikistan in Afghan Transit Trade to be called Trilateral Transit Trade Agreement (PATTTA). The draft of the agreement had already been forwarded to the neighbouring governments.
Afghanistan accepting Tajikistan inclusion in Afghan Transit Trade has demanded for including India in the agreement. The government of Pakistan has shown dissatisfaction over India inclusion disagreeing on Afghan Transit Trade route through Wagah border checkpoint.
Pakistan in the summit commencing next month in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul will focus on revising agreement due security issues and increasing smuggling day by day causing billion of rupees loss to the country and including Tajikistan in Pakistan Afghanistan Transit Trade. Pakistan on the other side is also in talks with Arab determination to establish a regional free trade zone.
