ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The government has decided to prepare a negative list to allow free trade to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs) via a land route, a senior official told Dawn.

The decision was taken to control the illegal trade and smuggling taking place across the sprawling border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The export to Afghanistan will be allowed against Pakistani rupee until the establishment of a banking channel in that country.

Official figures made available to Dawn, showed that the official trade stood at $34 million from January to December, 2001, between Afghanistan and Pakistan as against $20 million trade done during the corresponding period last year, an increase of 70 per cent.

At present, Pakistan government has allowed 14 types of items for export to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics at zero rate of duty.

Similarly, to take active part in the reconstruction of the war-ravaged Afghanistan, the CBR has also recently allowed additional 16 types of items for export at zero rate of duty to Afghanistan and CARs.

In spite of the facility being provided, the Afghan importers are not happy and have formally intimated the government that they needed a variety of items to kick-start the rebuilding of their country.

Considering the proposal a preliminary meeting was held in the commerce ministry recently to chalk out a comprehensive list of negative items, which were prone to smuggling.

Likewise, the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Peshawar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry were asked to prepare a negative list of items which may be disallowed for export.

According to the sources, these proposals, after thorough examination of the authorities concerned, will be sent to the ministry of commerce in the first week of January, 2002.

These proposals, which would also come under discussion in a seminar to be held on reconstruction of Afghanistan on Jan 7 after their receipt in the commerce ministry.

The list, after being vetted, would be finalised by the end of January, the source said.

The government has already banned 17 items from the import list for Afghanistan via air, road and land under the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT).