SHAFAQNA PAKISTAN (Shia News Agency)
Like US and Russia, Pakistan and India are also fighting proxies on others ground. Where Afghanistan has become a play ground for number of world powers, Pakistan and India are also fighting a cold war in Afghanistan. During the times of Hamid Karzai, India enjoyed advantage over Pakistan but as the Hamid Karzai retired from the office, Pakistan took the driving seat of Afghanistan’s internal affairs. Apart from brokering deal between Afghan Government and Taliban, Pakistan is also assisting Ashraf Ghani to bring all the stakeholders for a stable country under Pakistan’s thumb. On the other hand India has been trying to take reign of Afghanistan’s affairs in order to keep pressure on Pakistan from its border area. However at present India stands poll apart from Ashraf Ghani due to its tilting towards Pakistan however Afghan supremo has offered India to Join the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) to promote trade in the region. Pakistan and the landlocked Afghanistan signed APTTA in 2010, replacing the 1965’s Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). Kabul insists that APTTA allows Afghan trucks to carry Afghan products to the huge markets of India and China as well as the rest of the world through the seaports of Karachi, Port Qasim and Gwadar. Indian ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha has said New Delhi is willing to become party to APTTA, claiming that “Pakistan’s policy issues have hindered Afghanistan’s access to the key Wagah border post.”Leaving aside the political differences, it seems that India wants to grow its economy regardless of the hostilities with Pakistan, while Pakistan is also well aware of the importance of trade. Afghanistan a war struck with a lowest grwoth in the region have no other survival except to bank on trade. It is good step that all the three countries have agreed upon APTTA but it would be more better for the region that if these countries also join hands for the peace and prosperity of the region by shunning hostile attitude against each other.
pakistan.shafaqna.com
