Pakistan on Sunday started implementation of a plan that allows Afghan transporters to enter Pakistan on the Temporary Admission Document (TAD) at border points to facilitate speedy bilateral trade between the two countries, traders said.
The first Afghan vehicles having TAD cleared at the Kharlachi border crossing in Kurram tribal district, a senior member of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) told Dawn.com.
Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, coordinator of PAJCCI for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the Pakistani embassy in Kabul had issued TAD to Afghan drivers and cleaners.
On the other hand, the Afghan consulate in Peshawar will issue the same documents to Pakistani transporters, the Afghan Consul General Hafiz Mohibullah told Dawn.com.
The Afghan diplomat said an official from Kabul had arrived at the consulate to issue the TAD to Pakistani transporters.
“This is good news for bilateral trade,” Sarhadi said.
However, he pointed out that the transporters involved in the transit of goods were not included in the TAD system.
In March, Pakistan and Afghanistan had reached an introduction of the TAD for trade vehicle drivers in talks in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Mohibullah also said that Afghan and Pakistani cargo vehicles can now go to any city in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Former Commerce Secretary Mohammad Khurrum Agha visited Afghanistan from March 24-27 and made progress in talks on bilateral trade and transit with his Afghan Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi.
The transporters’ documentation was a complicated issue that led to the closure of the Torkham border in January this year.
Afghanistan closed the Torkham border on Jan 13 after Pakistan implemented a new policy, making it mandatory for Afghan drivers to have a valid visa to enter the country.
The border was opened 10 days following Pakistan’s withdrawal of its decision.
Afghan and Pakistani drivers will be provided TAD for a one-year trial period, which is being implemented from June 2024 onwards.
Afghanistan also welcomed the decision.
“We see this as a very positive development that will ensure smooth bilateral trade,” Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesperson for the Afghan Commerce Ministry, told Dawn.com today.
He said it is a matter of satisfaction that what had been decided in trade talks in Kabul in March was being implemented
“We are confident that other decisions would also be implemented. The Afghan side is also implementing the decision,” Jawad said from Kabul.
Pakistani commerce ministry officials informed traders in a recent meeting in Peshawar that about 6000 Afghan registered vehicles and 9000 Pakistani registered vehicles are involved in the transportation of bilateral trade.
The implementation of TAD will smooth the line and simplify the process which will in turn enhance the trade between the two countries.
No progress on APTTA
There has been no progress on a revised Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA).
In Kabul talks in March, both sides had decided that a revised agreement should be finalised within two months.
The revised 2010 APTTA expired before the Taliban took control of Kabul in August 2021.
Both sides had failed to agree on a new draft during the tenure of former President Ashraf Ghani.
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