'Bilateral trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan has dropped by $2b'

[Devil Soul]

'Bilateral trade between Pakistan, Afghanistan has dropped by $2b'
By News Desk
Published: January 24, 2018
SHARE TWEET EMAIL

PHOTO: REUTERS

The volume of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has dropped from its high of $2.5 billion to a mere $500 million in a few years, said a chamber official, urging official quarters on both sides to make efforts to increase the figure.
Zahidullah Shinwari, president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), said strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul are to be blamed for the 80% drop in the volume of bilateral trade, reported Khamaa News.

Afghanistan wants world powers to ramp up pressure on Pakistan: US envoy

“Relevant government officials need to play their role in enhancing Pak-Afghan trade and ties,” said Shinwari as he addressed a gathering of businessmen and stakeholders in Peshawar.




Both sides have been involved in a heated exchange of accusations with Kabul blaming militants based in Pakistan for attacks on its country. Islamabad has denied all accusations.

While bilateral relations continue to be strained, the US sided with Kabul with President Donald Trump also accusing Pakistan of not doing enough to stop insurgency in Afghanistan.

Last week, returning from a UN Security Council visit to Afghanistan, US Ambassador Nikki Haley stressed that Kabul wants world powers to step up pressure on Pakistan.

Haley joined 14 other council envoys for talks with top Afghan leaders in Kabul over the weekend as the government considers holding peace talks with the Taliban to end decades of insurgency.

Experts eye new chance for warmer Pakistan-Afghanistan ties

“They feel confident that the Taliban will be coming to the table,” Haley told reporters at UN headquarters.

While the peace talks will be Afghan-led, the Kabul government did request that the Security Council weigh in to bring Pakistan onboard. “They did ask us for consensus to put further pressure on Pakistan to come to the table and change their behaviour,” Haley said.

President Trump has also frozen US payments of military aid to Pakistan, worth $900 million, saying Islamabad is not doing enough to target Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani militant group. A question mark also hangs over the provision of a further $1 billion worth of US military equipment to Pakistan.

 

[!eon]

Bring it to zero and meanwhile,
Generate work and jobs in FATA, so that tribes don't have be dependent on trade with Afghan charsi govt.

 

[Sher Malang]

Meanwhile Uzbekistan has decreased its tariffs on Afghanistan by 50%.
Iran and Turkey have rapidly replaced Pakistani products in Afghan markets (which are better in quality).
Local products have now a good share of the market and it's continuing to grow.
Iran and India is providing Afghanistan an alternative sea route.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are providing alternative land routes with good incentives.

Thank you Pakistan.

 

[Dalit]

Kick all Afghans out of Pakistan. We don't seek relations with this country let alone trade. Afghanistan is nothing, but an occupied proxy nation. We will focus on CPEC which is a trillion times more important.

 

[Truth Hurts]

Meanwhile Uzbekistan has decreased its tariffs on Afghanistan by 50%.
Iran and Turkey have rapidly replaced Pakistani products in Afghan markets (which are better in quality).
Local products have now a good share of the market and it's continuing to grow.
Iran and India is providing Afghanistan an alternative sea route.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are providing alternative land routes with good incentives.

Thank you Pakistan.

Good for Afghanistan,Because Pakistan can no longer carry baggage of Afghanistan,Pakistanis have already done more then enough for Afghans

 

[Sher Malang]

Good for Afghanistan,Because Pakistan can no longer carry baggage of Afghanistan,Pakistanis have already done more then enough for Afghans

Yep It earned $2bln yearly which now it does not.

 

[Truth Hurts]

Yep It earned $2bln yearly which now it does not.

Oh that way it is 120 Billion $ plus 30,000 Pakistani lives when can you manage that

Plus Afghans taking our Jobs in our country and Refugees expenses also for millions of Afghans in decades.

And Finally the package they get while going back to Afghanistan (Money and Materials)

 

[Musalman]

Trade is going down, trust me its not a good thing for both the countries

 

[Max]

Meanwhile Uzbekistan has decreased its tariffs on Afghanistan by 50%.
Iran and Turkey have rapidly replaced Pakistani products in Afghan markets (which are better in quality).
Local products have now a good share of the market and it's continuing to grow.
Iran and India is providing Afghanistan an alternative sea route.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are providing alternative land routes with good incentives.

Thank you Pakistan.

May Pakistan Afghan trade come to zero (ameen)..

Trade is going down, trust me its not a good thing for both the countries

actually very good thing, we lost too much due to open borders, 30k lives, $120b.. we should seal the borders and concentrate on Political stability and internal security (which already improved a lot).. do you know what was FDI before TTP's emergence? it was near 5.4 billion dollars, now its hovering around 2 billion..

 

[MBT 3000]

Close border

 

[Musalman]

We should have a border management system not sealed borders

 

[Tom M]

Ironically most people here are emotional fools who just can't see that fact that Pakistan is simply loosing her second biggest export destination.

As I have heard from someone long time back, Pakistan who wahid koum hey jo apane barbadi ka jeshan khud manate hey. It really sounds true in this context. LOL

 

[Zibago]

Meanwhile Uzbekistan has decreased its tariffs on Afghanistan by 50%.
Iran and Turkey have rapidly replaced Pakistani products in Afghan markets (which are better in quality).
Local products have now a good share of the market and it's continuing to grow.
Iran and India is providing Afghanistan an alternative sea route.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are providing alternative land routes with good incentives.

Thank you Pakistan.

If that means you agree with us on border management i would call it a hard win
But this thread doesnot reveal the true complete story
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/afghanistans-transit-trade-through-pakistan-picks-up.540662/

 

[American Pakistani]

Meanwhile Uzbekistan has decreased its tariffs on Afghanistan by 50%.
Iran and Turkey have rapidly replaced Pakistani products in Afghan markets (which are better in quality).
Local products have now a good share of the market and it's continuing to grow.
Iran and India is providing Afghanistan an alternative sea route.
Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are providing alternative land routes with good incentives.

Thank you Pakistan.

The main aim for Pakistan should be to lowering the trade further and pushing the Afghans out of Pakistan. Pakistan should not allow people of a country that has shown nothing more than ungratefulness.

 

[Ryuzaki]

The main aim for Pakistan should be to lowering the trade further and pushing the Afghans out of Pakistan. Pakistan should not allow people of a country that has shown nothing more than ungratefulness.

Afghanistan was one of the few countries with which Pakistan had significant trade surplus.Loss in exports hits Pakistan economy very badly,especially given the current foreign reservers