JOIN USPakistan’s rejection of Afghanistan’s request for permission to carry on overland trade with India via the Wagah/Attari check-post is downright short-sighted. Indeed, this is a classic example of a country cutting its nose to spite its face. Presently, Afghanistan’s cargo-laden trucks heading for India are unloaded at Wagah. The goods are then loaded on to other vehicles that carry the cargo to India. The Afghan trucks then return home empty as Pakistan does not allow India to export to Afghanistan via its territory. The enormous waste of resources this arrangement entails is obvious and to change this, Kabul asked Pakistan to permit its trucks to cross into India via the border crossing at Wagah/Attari. Pakistan claims that security concerns lie behind its decision. However, the decision stems from envy.
Islamabad resents the burgeoning India-Afghan economic ties. Unfortunately, in its haste to weaken the India-Afghan relationship, Pakistan is undermining its own economic interests. After all, it could benefit from levying transit charges on India-Afghan trade. Besides, Pakistan’s pettiness will cost it dearly; a peeved Kabul has decided not to permit Pakistan’s trucks to cross the Afghan border into Tajikistan. It will hit Pakistan’s trade with Central Asia.Intra-regional trade accounts for 65 per cent, 51 per cent and 25 per cent of the total foreign trade of the European Union, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) area and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), respectively. Intra-SAARC trade, in contrast, accounts for a dismal 5.2 per cent of the combined foreign trade of its member-countries. This indicates the extent to which SAARC countries have allowed petty rivalries to cloud economic decision making. Deeper intra-regional trade could culminate in win-win situations.
Unfortunately, countries here are preoccupied with petty point scoring that may have small short run benefits and end up damaging their own long-term interests.
Pakistan must realise that its obstructionist behaviour is not appreciated elsewhere in South Asia. Earlier this year, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and India signed an agreement that will pave the way for seamless movement of goods across borders of these countries. Of course, several challenges lie ahead but the rest of South Asia clearly wants to move on. Pakistan will find itself left out in the cold soon if it persists with its habitual obstructionism on the matter. Its dreams of connecting with Central Asia cannot work without Afghanistan’s goodwill just as trade with the rest of South Asia hinges on co-operation with India. It must rethink its decision to prevent Afghan trucks from crossing over to India.