Indian businessmen eye Wagah route for future Afghan trade

AMRITSAR: Kabul's warning to Islamabad to disallow it to use Afghan transit route to reach out to Central Asian countries if it didn’t allow Afghan businessmen to trade with India through Wagah(Pakistan) border has come as a pleasant surprise for business community hear who foresee a sea of opportunities in doing business with Afghanistan with affordable logistics.
Reacting to the recent development, director of Khanna Paper Mills Suneet Kochhar said “Indian goods will find a big market in the regions which are still untouched and can realize India’s Central Asia dream through Wagah/Attari route”. He said Pakistan had always shut its route to Afghanistan for Indian businessmen but the latest initiative by Afghan president was positive for business sentiments. He said Punjab would be significantly benefited as it would help Punjabi industrialists to find new markets with cheap transportation costs.
Indian goods including tea, light engineering goods, hosiery etc. are presently exported to Afghanistan via Mumbai said he adding that with the opening of Wagah/Attari route the trade would become fast and economical.
Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani had stated that if Pakistan didn't allow Afghan traders to use the Wagah border for trade with India, then Afghanistan would not allow Pakistan to use Afghan transit route to reach Central Asia.
Chairman of Sonalika Tractors AS Mittal said “It’s a great initiative, I believe our diplomacy is working “. Mittal who exports tractors to Afghanistan via Iran said with the opening of Wagah/Attari route to trade with Afghanistan the logistics would be significantly affordable and it would be mutually beneficial for both the nations. However , Mittal said it seems hypothetical for now but if it actually happens it would be highly beneficial for businessmen in India and Afghanistan.
President, Indo Foreign Chamber of Commerce BK Bajaj said traditionally Amritsar had been the main trading centre for business with Pakistan and Afghanistan but with time it had become a one-way trade route. He said for exports to Afghanistan, the Indian businessmen had to send their goods via third country which adds to the costs. He said under the UN charter, Pakistan had to give freedom of transit to Afghanistan since it was a land locked country.