Pak-Afghan implement transit trade pact

Islamabad (PTI) - Afghan trucks Sunday began
delivering goods to the Wagah land border crossing with India
via Pakistani territory after a US-sponsored transit trade
pact was implemented, an Afghan Embassy official said.
The decision to implement the Afghanistan-Pakistan
Transit Trade Agreement was made during the June 10-11 visit
to Islamabad by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
The new agreement replaced the 1965 transit trade
agreement, which allows landlocked Afghanistan to import goods
through Pakistani ports.
Afghan trucks could not cross the border under the old
agreement and their goods had to be transported to Pakistani
cities in local trucks.
Under the new pact, Afghan trucks will go directly to
Wagah and Karachi and Gwadar ports so that goods can be
exported to other countries through Pakistani ports, the
Afghan Embassy official said.
Afghan trucks can bring goods from Lahore and not
from Wagah, the official said.
Afghan and Pakistani trucks crossed the border on
Saturday and Sunday after the implementation of the new
agreement, he said.
Afghan trucks will not be stopped at the Torkham land
border crossing for checking and Afghan fresh fruit will not
be spoiled now, he said.
The trucks will also not be stopped at Peshawar and
will directly go to their destinations within Pakistan.
Similarly Pakistani trucks will now cross into Central
Asian states through the Heratan border.
"The new agreement will benefit both countries," the
official said.
Differences over bank guarantees in the new agreement
too had been removed, he added.