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Pakistan denies transit route for Indian goods

Nirupama Subramanian

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has once again turned down a request for a transit route to Afghanistan through the Wagah border for Indian goods.

At the June 14-15 Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Economic Commission meeting, Afghan Finance Minister Anwar ul-Haq Ahady reiterated the demand that Pakistan provide a transit route through the Wagah border for Indian goods bound for his country.

Mr. Ahady said later that there had been no progress on this demand.

The Afghan Minister said Pakistan had its compulsions for not giving the transit rights. "However, if the transit was extended, it would provide a relief to Afghanistan," he was quoted as saying.

Pakistan has linked permission for the overland trade corridor to progress on solving the Kashmir issue. Pending that, Pakistan has said India could make use of the Karachi port to transport goods to Afghanistan.

At present, Pakistan allows Afghan goods to reach India through the Wagah border but India sends its goods to Afghanistan through Iran.

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