M A I N   N E W S

Pak disallows Indian goods to Kabul

Islamabad, March 31
Pakistan has refused permission to Afghanistan to import Indian goods through the Wagah border in Punjab but agreed to allow Afghanistan’s exports to India through the same land route.

Pakistan’s decision to this effect was conveyed by Mr Shoukat Aziz, Finance Adviser to the Pakistan Prime Minister, to Afghanistan’s Vice-President Amin Arasala during the Pak-Afghan joint ministerial commission meeting in Kabul yesterday.

“In a daylong meeting between Pakistani and Afghan leaders the Pakistani side regretted to accept its host’s request of facilitating Indian imports to Afghanistan through the land route of Wagah in Punjab to Turkham in NWFP and onward to Kabul via Jalalabad,” Pakistan newsagency NNI reported today.

Pakistan, however, would continue to permit Afghan exports to India through its land route via Turkham to Wagah and onward to India, it said.

The report also quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan saying that Pakistan was considering allowing Indian biscuits to be transported to Afghanistan via Pakistan. However, he reiterated that Pakistan would not allow Indian wheat to cross through Pakistan. He said Iran had also not allowed transportation of Indian wheat.

Islamabad’s decision against permitting Indian goods for Afghanistan will make it difficult for Kabul to get cheaper Indian goods and humanitarian aid as it will have to be re-routed through Iran. Pakistan, however, allowed selective items like dozens of newly manufactured buses to Afghanistan.

The refusal to deny transit permission for Indian goods to Afghanistan followed concerns among the officials here that India had made large forays into Afghanistan with generous economic and material aid and also grabbed large number of re-construction projects. PTI