ISLAMABAD: While emphasizing that Afghanistan will not allow its soil to be used by terrorist groups against Pakistan, Mawlawi Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, the Chargé d’Affaires of Afghanistan said that CPEC created many opportunities for the region which could benefit Afghanistan as well. He was speaking at a seminar titled “Strengthening Economic Ties between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia” organized by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS).
Mawlawi Shakeeb also stated that Afghanistan’s involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative would not only enhance investments in its infrastructure. but also bring the regional countries closer. “We believe that trilateral cooperation among Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China can usher in a new era of regional collaboration.”
Terming Pakistan as one of the leading trade partners of Afghanistan, he expressed Afghan interim administration’s commitment to enhancement of trade and investment between the two countries. He acknowledged the recent challenges in trade and economic relations between the two countries but felt that Afghanistan was striving to revitalize the economic relations. Besides the security-related issues, Mawlawi Shakeeb highlighted the Western sanctions, frequent closures of crossing points, limited customs facilitation, sudden and unilateral increases in tariffs, and frequent checking of loaded vehicles as major obstacles to trade flows.
He underlined the need for the two countries to invest in trade infrastructure, streamline customs processes, strengthen trade facilities, develop transportation links, build mutual trust, and enhance diplomatic dialogues for achieving long-term trade benefits. While calling for greater collaboration on economic policies and expansion of transportation and transit projects between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mawlawi Sahkeeb emphasized the desirability of sustained diplomatic engagement among the regional countries and joint efforts for peace and security to provide a sustainable foundation for regional economic cooperation. He also underpinned the need to refrain from imposing economic restrictions and other policies that hinder regional economic cooperation.
The Afghan Chargé d’Affaires highlighted the importance of Afghanistan as a bridge between South and Central Asia. He shared that the Afghan interim administration had already started work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline and added that Kazakhstan had expressed interest in joining the project. He also shared that Afghanistan was working towards implementing projects such as the Trans-Afghan Railway, CASA-1000, and other regional initiatives.
Speaking on the occasion, President IRS Ambassador Jauhar Saleem underscored the importance of peace and stability in Afghanistan for intraregional trade and economic prosperity. He felt that any insecurity in Afghanistan and inability to prevent outflow of terrorism would not allow building of regional economic cooperation that could help bring prosperity to the peoples of the entire neighbourhood.
