Pakistan to resume Afghan exports at Wagah border with India

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan has decided to resume Afghan exports through Wagah border crossing from July 15 after implementing COVID-19 related protocols, at a special request of the Government of Afghanistan and with a view to facilitating the neighbouring country's transit trade.

“With this step, Pakistan has fulfilled its commitments under Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). Pakistan has restored bilateral trade and Afghan transit trade at all border crossing terminals to pre-COVID-19 status,” Foreign office spokesperson said in a press release on Monday.

"With this step, Pakistan has fulfilled its commitments under Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA)," the statement added, referring to a 2010 bilateral trade agreement, which provides Afghan traders access to eastern Wagah border with India, where Afghan goods are offloaded onto Indian trucks.

The agreement, however, does not permit Indian goods to be loaded onto trucks for transit back to Afghanistan.

Pakistan, the statement further said, restored bilateral trade and Afghan transit trade at all border crossing terminals to pre-COVID-19 status.

Pakistan had closed all its borders with neighboring countries in March in an attempt to stem the raging coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, Islamabad reopened its three key trade routes -- southwestern Chaman and northwestern Torkham, and Ghulam Khan border crossings -- for transit trade and exports to Afghanistan.