KABUL: Resumption of trade dialogue, visa facilitations, exchange programmes and people to people contact should be carried out to normalise the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This was decided during a dialogue held in the Afghan capital. The Track-II/1.5 Beyond Boundaries dialogue was organised by the Islamabad-based Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) and its Afghan counterpart, Organization for Economic Studies and Peace (OESP).
A joint declaration of policy recommendations issued at the end of the three-day interaction welcomed the recent exchange of visits between Kabul and Islamabad, particularly consultations between directors general of military operations (DGMOs). They hoped the current restraint on both sides augurs well for bilateral relations.
The first meeting of Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Committee (PAJC) of CRSS and OESP welcomed the recent proposals shared between Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially the start of the process of various working groups to address issues affecting their bilateral relations.
In addition, PAJC held detailed discussions on the current status of bilateral relations, including issues of peace and security, refugees, media cooperation, movement of goods and people across the two countries, facilitation of trade, visa restrictions and academic scholarships in particular. The joint committee strongly called on both the governments to convene meeting of the Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Coordinating Authority (APTTCA) as soon as possible to address pending transit trade issues. It was pointed out by several participants that Afghanistan has not called the meeting for 18 months despite Pakistan’s repeated requests. The participants called for immediate resumption of bilateral trade talks, including recently imposed regulatory taxes on Afghan exports to Pakistan.
The PAJC pressed Pakistan to expedite and facilitate implementation of the scholarship programs for Afghan students. The Track-II recommendations requested the Afghan government to facilitate completion of Pakistan funded projects in Afghanistan and provide all the necessary support, including timely tax waivers by the Afghan government for equipment being imported for these projects.
