ISLAMABAD, May 10: Islamabad is taking up with Afghan interim authority the rising ratio of contracts and procurements slipping out of Pakistani contractors and businessmen’s hands due to Kabul authorities’ tilt towards India and Iran.
The issue will be discussed at length when a high-level ministerial delegation of Afghan interim authority arrives on Sunday on a week-long visit to Pakistan.
Foreign office sources told Dawn that Afghan minister for commerce and trade Syed Mustafa Kazmi and minister for public works Abdul Khalid Fazil would be visiting various parts of the country.
The delegation ahead of the proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan-Turkmenistan summit meeting here at the end of the month is being given crucial importance by Pakistan officials. This would set the stage to a great extent on issues relating to Afghan reconstruction and $2 billion Trans-Afghanistan (Turkmenistan to Pakistan) gas pipeline, to be discussed by the three heads of state.
The foreign office is coordinating a tripartite summit meeting of President Musharraf, President Niyazove and Chairman Karzai during the last week of this month.
Pakistan cement industry, contractors community and the power sector companies, including Wapda, were expected to get a boost in the neighbouring market following the fall of Taliban government.
A number of seminars, exchange of delegations both at the public and private level and easing of trade rules towards Afghanistan did not materialise any significant economic and market gain.
Not only that contracts of procurement of cement and engineering products were going to Iranian and Indian businessmen and contractors due to their competitive edge but discriminatory treatment was being meted out to the Pakistani businessmen, sources in the commerce and industries ministry said.
Pakistan wanted a level playing field for its businessmen and contractors notwithstanding competitive situation, said a government official. Recently, Wapda also lost a contract in Afghanistan due to higher bidding price, sources said.
The delegation, besides holding discussions with foreign minister and senior officials, would meet commerce minister Abdul Razak Dawood, housing and works minister Abbas Sarfaraz and senior officials of export promotion bureau (EPB) and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).
Afghan authorities want Pakistan to help develop its cricket facilities in that country. The delegation would also hold discussion with representatives of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FPCCI) and visit various chambers of commerce and industries and Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
