Pakistan, Afghanistan set to finalise transit, trade deals during Dar’s kabul visit

By Tahir Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan are expected to discuss a roadmap for political engagement and announce trade and economic cooperation during the long-awaited visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, people familiar with the matter said late Friday.

The Foreign Office stated that, at the invitation of the Acting Afghan Foreign Minister, the deputy prime minister will lead a high-level delegation to Kabul on Saturday.

This will be the first high-level visit from Pakistan since the PML-led coalition assumed office in early March last year.

During the day-long visit, Dar will call on the Afghan Acting Prime Minister, Afghan Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and hold delegation-level talks with Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Office Spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said at the weekly briefing.

Officials say announcements regarding the conclusion of a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and the extension of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) are likely to be made during the visit.

Revised in 2010, APTTA expired on February 11, 2021, and has not yet been extended.

Both sides have held a series of meetings on the possible extension of the agreement, which was originally signed in 1965. The agreement allows Afghan traders to use two ports in Karachi and now also the Gwadar port in Balochistan.

“We have told the Afghan side that we have no problem with the extension of APTTA. We will see what they say during the DPM’s visit,” an official source said.

The two countries also discussed these issues during the visit of Afghan Acting Minister for Commerce and Industries Haji Nooruddin Azizi, who held formal talks with his Pakistani counterpart Jam Kamal in Islamabad on April 17.

Azizi also met Ishaq Dar, and the Foreign Office said, “Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in trade, transit, and regional connectivity.”

The Foreign Office said Ishaq Dar presided over a high-level inter-ministerial meeting ahead of his visit to Afghanistan. All aspects of the visit were reviewed in detail, with a focus on advancing bilateral cooperation and promoting regional connectivity.

Special Representative on Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammad Sadiq, Federal Secretaries for Commerce, Railways, and Interior, and senior officials from FBR and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended the meeting.

Pakistan and Afghan officials have also completed discussions on the PTA, and a Pakistani official said his government has no objection if an announcement is made.

“If Afghanistan agrees on the draft, we can make an announcement in Kabul. The draft would then be sent to the respective cabinets for approval,” an official told *Hum News English*.

A PTA would enable both countries to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers on goods and services. In some cases, import duties could be eliminated entirely.

“It is a very important and significant visit, and it reiterates our commitment to developing friendly, good-neighbourly relations with Afghanistan. This aligns with the priority we have given to this relationship,” the Foreign Office spokesman said when asked about the visit.

He also renewed Pakistan’s concerns over the use of Afghan soil by Pakistani militant groups, saying, “The key concern remains centered on security.”

“The visit is a very important positive development in Pakistan-Afghan relations. We hope it will pave the way for greater understanding and help rekindle friendship and deepen relations between the two countries,” Shafqat Ali Khan said.

Why Pakistan and Taliban Are Opting for New Roadmap?

Afghan sources say both countries have been working on a roadmap for political engagement that would allow them to focus on resolving issues through dialogue.

Pakistan and the government of ousted President Ashraf Ghani had launched a comprehensive engagement mechanism involving military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials from both sides.

However, Afghan sources said they are not willing to continue under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), a bilateral dialogue framework established in May 2018 to provide structured institutional engagement across various areas of cooperation.

“Although the visit will primarily focus on political and economic matters, Pakistan is likely to raise the issue of Pakistani armed groups during the talks,” an official source said.

The visit comes days after Pakistani and Afghan Taliban security officials met in Kabul to review border issues.

Ambassador Sadiq wrote on X that after a 15-month pause, the 7th meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) convened in Kabul — a vital platform for addressing sensitive and strategic issues.

“Regular and sustained engagement through such mechanisms is essential to ease tensions, dispel doubts, and strengthen mutual understanding in bilateral ties,” he said.

Sources suggest both sides could hold follow-up discussions during Ishaq Dar’s visit.

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