ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday ruled out the resumption of bilateral and transit trade with Afghanistan until the border security situation improves between the two neighbors, even as it expressed cautious optimism about the ongoing peace efforts and upcoming round of talks in Istanbul.
Addressing a media briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan has been engaging with the Taliban regime through diplomatic channels, citing the Oct. 18 Doha talks and the next round of negotiations scheduled to be held in Istanbul starting tomorrow.
Pakistan closed its key northwestern Torkham and southwestern Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan earlier this month, after deadly clashes between the two countries heightened tensions before a ceasefire was agreed.
“Till the evaluation of the security situation, the [Afghan] transit trade will remain closed,” Andrabi said, adding that Pakistan’s priority was the safety of its citizens and soldiers, not trade, at this stage.
As a landlocked nation, Afghanistan depends on neighboring states for trade to sustain its economy, with Kabul’s transit trade agreement with Pakistan the most vital arrangement made by the country.
Responding to questions about the closure of key border crossings at Torkham, Angoor Adda and Chaman, Andrabi said Pakistan’s decision stemmed from repeated militant attacks targeting its security personnel and civilians near its border posts.
“It hurts us that traders and ordinary people are suffering,” he said. “But when armed attacks take place at these trading points, killing Pakistanis, then for us the lives of Pakistanis are more important than any commodity being traded. We have to have our priorities very clear.”
POST-DOHA CALM
The spokesperson said the talks in Doha between Pakistan and Afghanistan had resulted in a partial ceasefire and some “positive progress,” adding that Islamabad expected further improvement in the situation after the Istanbul round of negotiations.
“In Doha, our focus was to stop terrorist attacks emanating from Afghan soil on Pakistan,” Andrabi explained. “In order to do that, we asked for a verifiable and empirical mechanism to ensure that the regime in Kabul takes concrete action to stop such attacks.”
He noted that, following the Doha talks, no major militant attacks had taken place from the Afghan territory, describing this as a sign of “some positive achievement.”
“We are going to Istanbul with the same sincerity and purpose with which we participated in Doha. The ceasefire has largely held, and that gives us reason to be optimistic about the future,” he said.
Adopting a measured tone, Andrabi rejected the characterization of the Afghan Taliban as an “enemy,” calling the relationship between the two countries “delicate and complex.”
“Our message from Pakistan is simple,” he continued. “Stop these attacks and our relations can be back on track. This is not an outlandish demand. We are not asking for the moon. We are asking [them] to uphold commitments.”
Asked about media reports that Afghanistan was planning to build dams on rivers flowing into Pakistan, he said the government was gathering more details, though he emphasized such cross-boundary water issues must adhere to international law.
“This issue is not new,” he said. “It has existed since the time of [the former Afghan rulers] Zahir Shah and Sardar Daoud.”
“If a dam is being built, we will see how it goes. Six dams costing around $3 billion? I’m not sure New Delhi is so gracious,” he added, suggesting Indian involvement after the administration in New Delhi announced plans to pull out of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), with some officials vowing not even to let a drop of water enter Pakistan.
Islamabad has raised concerns over the IWT issue internationally, saying any attempt to deprive Pakistan of river waters would be “an act of war.”
