KARACHI: Following a deadly battle between Pakistan and Afghan forces, the Chaman border is closed and Customs is all set to switch destination of NATO, ISAF, US Army cargo destined for Afghanistan from Chaman to Torkham border.
The Ministry of Commerce has reportedly given a go ahead to Customs authorities and soon the US Army/NATO/ISAF cargo, which earlier was to be transported to Afghanistan via Chaman border would be switched to the other route i.e. Torkham border.
Sources said that all the formalities had been completed to switch the destination of the transit cargo as agreed at the meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority.
It was known that list of containers from US Consulate is awaited for which the destination needs to be changed. US Consulate is waiting for their intelligence reports regarding security situation at Torkham border. In case Afghanistan resorts to any more adventurism leading to closure of Torkham border, the entire exercise would be futile.
In view of growing relations between US and India, Pakistan is tilting towards China and Russia and as a repercussion neighboring India, Afghanistan and now Iran also are creating problems at Pakistan’s borders.
Pakistan military, thanks to Operation Zarb-e-Azb and Rad-ul-Fisad, has overcome most of the internal threats, however the external threats loom large.
However, Pakistan is pursuing an accommodative policy as far as foreign trade is concerned and has implemented the measures decided at the meeting of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APTTA).
It may be mentioned here that at the APTTA meeting February last, the Afghan side had requested for change in destination of transit cargo from Torkham to Chaman and vice versa. Pakistan side had agreed to this request.