It is hoped that the visit of the delegation of the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan to Kabul to discuss the issues occurring in the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan will prove to be very helpful in removing the coldness in the relations between the two countries. The two countries will discuss joint measures to remove obstacles faced by transporters and traders at border crossing points between the two countries.

Explaining Afghanistan's position in this regard, the spokesperson of the Afghan Ministry of Commerce, Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, said that Islamabad's unnecessary restrictions have made business almost impossible. However, the new laws based on unnecessary restrictions have had a very negative impact on the business, reducing the number of Pakistani trucks to barely 700.  To understand this situation, a brief review of the background of Pak-Afghan relations is necessary. Historical, cultural, ethnic, religious and geographical relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have reached ideal heights during the last four to five decades.  After two world powers attacked Afghanistan and millions of Afghan families had to leave the country, the entire Pakistani nation welcomed them with open arms and open hearts. They enjoyed complete freedom of movement and business activities throughout the country. In a long period of decades, forty five million Afghan refugees became a part of the Pakistani nation. The Afghan movement resisting external aggression has the hearty sympathies of the Pakistani people. After the success of Afghan resistance against the first aggression, a stable government was established in the country under the leadership of Tehreek-e-Taliban.  After 9/11, Afghanistan had to face the second aggression and Pakistan also had to bear heavy casualties at the hands of the monster of terrorism, even then there was no hardship in the hearts of the people of Pakistan for the Afghan brothers and sisters and they were against external aggression. When the foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan, Pakistan had expected that the mutual relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan would now reach new heights, especially that the Afghan government would be able to immediately and completely end the use of its territory for terrorism in Pakistan, but despite continuous promises and assurances, this hope has now been dashed.

But despite continuous promises and assurances, this hope has not been fulfilled so far, due to which strict measures have become inevitable for the government of Pakistan and bilateral trade has also been affected due to them. However, this situation is very harmful for both the countries and its improvement as soon as possible is an urgent requirement of the economic interests of both the countries. It should be hoped that the visit of Pakistan's trade delegation to Kabul will be a source of positive progress in this direction. The Pakistani delegation will pay full attention to the legitimate grievances of the Afghan brothers and suggest effective measures to the government of Pakistan for their redressal, while the Afghan authorities will also take effective measures to address the legitimate grievances of Pakistan in terms of terrorism and other aspects. A new era of active and passionate relations will begin in all spheres of life including trade between the countries.

Pakistan is continuously convincing the Afghan Taliban government to ensure effective border management from its side. The claims have been proven. They should keep their promises not to use their soil against Pakistan while realizing the centuries-old bilateral brotherly relations between the two countries.

In the context of the growing tension in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, it was certainly a promising news when few months back, the senior leader of the Afghan Taliban and the governor of Kandahar province, Mullah Shireen Akhond, visited Islamabad for talks to improve the situation.  It is a clear fact that the two brotherly Muslim countries are not only bound by faith but also by deep historical, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, economic and geographical ties.

In the past four decades, Afghanistan faced severe problems as a result of the demilitarization of the world powers twice, the Pakistani nation helped the Afghan brothers in all possible ways to get rid of them. Especially due to the ravages of these terrible wars, millions of Afghan families who left their homeland and came to Pakistan were warmly welcomed by the people and governments of every part of the country and most of them actually enjoyed the same facilities as the citizens of Pakistan.

However, due to the support of the United Nations for the NATO-American invasion of Afghanistan after 9/11, the Islamabad government at that time had to cooperate with the United States in various forms in this war, due to which Pakistan also supported the Afghan movement on a large scale. It was heavily targeted by terrorism from local supporters of the resistance, the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and several other militant groups. However, the war that lasted for twenty years in Afghanistan was ended by negotiations between Tehreek-e-Taliban Afghanistan and the US government, in which Pakistan's role was of key importance in making it possible. As a result of these negotiations, US forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban government was established in the country in the form of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in August 2021. After that, it was expected that the use of Afghan territory for terrorism against Pakistan would be stpped and this practice will be completely closed, but despite the continuous assurances of the Afghan government, this did not happen, due to which a negative impression was created on the government and public level in Pakistan,

Due to this, a negative impression was established at the government and public level in Pakistan, while the previous caretaker government ordered all 1.7 million Afghans living illegally in Pakistan to leave the country, which seemed to be an urgent but it was an impractical decision and time also proved this impression correct, after which the process of immediate return of Afghans practically stopped, but as a result of this, misunderstandings were born at the government and public level in Afghanistan on the one hand and Pakistan on the other.

TTP's terrorist activities within the country witnessed a significant increase and led to negative reactions against Afghanistan at all levels.

It is obvious that the continuation of this situation is not in favor of any of the two countries.

Amicable mutual relations are an essential requirement of both countries, so it is very welcome that both sides have decided to take the way to settle matters through understanding.

Published in The Daily National Courier, March, 28 2024

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