Amid renewed discussions over trade issues with Afghanistan, Pakistan has now called for a revision of trade agreements with Afghanistan, TOLOnews reported. 

“Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement will expire in February 2021, therefore, a revised agreement needs to be finalized as soon as possible,” said Pakistan in a statement released by its Kabul embassy. 

The statement also said there will be discussions on the bilateral Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and also on MOU regarding the opening of the Joint Border Markets (JBMs) on the sideline of the upcoming 8th round of the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Coordination Authority (APTTCA) in Islamabad. 

“We hope that all the remaining transit and trade challenges between Afghanistan and Pakistan are resolved soon,” Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, was quoted by TOLOnews. 

Citing sources, the report says, by calling for the revision of the agreements, Pakistan is asking for an unconditional transit permit for its exports to the Central Asia region. On the other hand, Afghanistan earlier said, the transit permission for its export to India remains key unresolved issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

Trade talks between the two countries were stalled for a long time and it is only the recent trip by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan that the talks gained momentum in the last few weeks.