KARACHI: Pakistan has started considering three options to establish a free trade zone in Central Asia linking other neighboring countries, excluding Afghanistan from the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA).
According to the sources in Directorate General of Afghan Transit Trade, Pakistan has decided to establish Central Asian as a free trade zone and for this purpose the government is committed to get rid of any hurdle coming in its way.
Pakistan is more focused to start trade with Central Asian countries using Karakoram Highway as the most viable route and a new security force will also be established for its protection, source added.
From the tree options for the trade to the central Asian countries government first considering using Karakoram Highway linking China to Kirghizstan and Kazakhstan to formulate Central Asia as free trade zone, the second option is to use Iran’s rail and road network to Turkmenistan and other Asian countries for the trade and as third option Pakistan may join a road and rail network with Wakhan boarder to Chitral and use Tajikistan’s city Ashkasham route for other countries also.
The two-day meeting of the regional initiative was held on 8th and 9th December in Islamabad where foreign ministers and senior representatives from Azerbaijan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and UAE meet during the different session.
In the two-day meeting of the regional initiative called by the Pakistan was named Heart of Asia Conference where the neighboring countries along with other agreed for the expansion of bilateral relation and trade.
