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ISLAMABAD: In a landmark development, Pakistan and Afghanistan on Saturday

agreed to extend the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade Transit Agreement (APTTA) to


Tajikistan in what will be the first step for the establishment of a North- South trade
corridor. The countries concerned were involved in hectic efforts for years to set up the
corridor. This move would subsequently be extended to other neighbouring Central Asian
states including Uzbekistan, Kyrghizstan and Turkmenistan after the initiation of the first
link. Central Asian states, including Kazakhstan as well as the states with sophisticated
rail and motorway links with the Russian federation, would also be considered in the
arrangement. Highly placed diplomati sources told The News on Saturday that Federal
Minister for Commerce Makhdoom Amin Fahim, who undertook the initiative a few
weeks ago in this regard, was informed by Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf about the
understanding that he developed early this week in his maiden one-day visit to the
Afghan capital. The federal minister will undertake the visit to Afghanistan immediately
after Ramazan for furthering the talks for the establishment of the corridor so that the
three countries could ink a comprehensive agreement after bringing Tajikistan on board,
the source said. The proposed agreement will also provide facilities to Tajikistan to use
Pakistans Gwadar and Karachi ports for its imports and exports while Pakistan will
enjoy trade with Tajikistan under terms similar to the transit arrangement with
Afghanistan. Makhdoom Amin Fahim who held an important meeting with
PrimeMinister Ashraf on Friday felicitated him on the success that he had achieved on
his visit to Afghanistan. Afghanistan has been also pushing for the proposal, the source
added. The Afghan government has also agreed to grant multiple entry visas to the
businessmen of Pakistan who were facing problems in getting the same. The issue of
visas came under discussion during bilateral talks with the Afghan delegation when
visiting Prime Minister Ashraf and Afghan President Hamid Karzai sat across the table in
Kabul on Thursday. The decision is expected to boost economic and trade relations to a
level that is hoped to be beneficial to the people of both countries. It is also understood
that the growth of trade and commerce hinges on the facilitation provided by the
respective host countries to the businessmen of other countries. Sources added that the
Afghan government is prepared to accommodate Pakistani experts and engineers in the
IT sector, especially since Afghanistan successfully launched 3G-communication
technology in the country. Interestingly, Pakistan is still struggling for attaining this goal
and Federal Secretary Information Technology Farooq Awan has said he is hopeful of
introducing 3G technology in Pakistan within a couple of months.

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