AMRITSAR: India and Afghanistan are likely to announce an air cargo service to help increase trade that both say is stymied because Pakistan has cold-shouldered both for their involvement in terrorism on its soil.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were meeting in Amritsar, a short distance from the Pakistan border, for the Heart of Asia conference aimed at stabilizing Afghanistan.
Afghanistan depends on the Karachi port for its foreign trade. It is allowed to send a limited amount of goods overland through Pakistan into India.
Afghan Macro Fiscal Policies Director General Khalid Payenda said the potential for trade with India, the largest market in the region, was far greater than allowed by land and so the two countries had decided to use the air route.
“That would be air cargo between Afghanistan and India. We have a lot of potential for trade on both sides. On our side, it’s mostly fruit and dried fruit and potentially through India to other places for products like carpets and others.”
Indian Foreign Ministry official Gopal Baglay said several proposals were being discussed to improve Afghanistan’s trade and transport links.
“There have been very many ideas on how to enhance connectivity, overcome current challenges and also expand the trade basket,” he said.
Afghanistan’s ties with Pakistan have also become strained after a series of terrorist attacks in Pakistan in which involvement of both Afghan and Indian intelligence agencies was proved. India is also using its close ties with Afghanistan to stir trouble in Balochistan province. A few months ago an Indian official, Kulbhushan Yadev, was also arrested from Balochistan.
“Unless we take a collective measure to fight terrorism, to fight the breeding ground for terrorism, the safe sanctuary, we will not be able to bring peace and stability either to Afghanistan or to anywhere else in the region, including India,” said Afghan ambassador to India Shaida M Abdali.
