Kabul, Khost, Afghanistan (Weltexpress). Chabahar Port is a joint effort of India, Iran and Afghanistan to support landlocked Afghanistan by giving access to the open seas, optimizing logistics cost by bringing in efficiency and creating a reliable and safe transport corridor.
This route connects India with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and other countries in the region. India can easily transit, export, and import it’s commercial goods to these countries.
When the port was officially opened, Pakistan panicked and caused sudden fear in Pakistani authorities. Pakistan wrong strategy and policy were the main reasons behind that Afghanistan stopped using Karachi port and instead uses Chabahar port to export and import goods through this port to the rest world. When Pakistan closed and blocked transit roads and commercial ports with Afghanistan, Afghan traders were seeking to find a proper solution. Pakistani authorities were preventing Afghan traders’ commercial goods to be transported on time and they were delaying and keeping it for months in Karachi port. Due to these and other reasons the traders found India, China, and Iran as good partners.
Flours, clothing, and pharmaceutical factories have stopped production, wholesalers and retailers have faced heavy financial lost. If the government of Pakistan doesn’t change its policy about Afghanistan, so it will face huge financial and economical damages in this regards.
Based on the information of Pakistan trade and commerce ministry, trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan was 5 B $, unfortunately, due to Pakistan wrong policies it has gradually reduced to 1.5 B$.
If Pakistan really want to have political, economic, cultural, and religious relationships with Afghanistan, they should allow Afghan people, traders and others to go and pass borders without requiring official visas. This policy will have positive impact on both countries in different aspects.
