SAARC Countries Bypass Pakistan to Sign Sub-Regional Motor Vehicle Agreement

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Seamless transit across borders comes closer to reality​

NEW DELHI: Four member countries of Saarc - India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh — are likely to sign the agreement for seamless transit across borders of passenger, personal and cargo vehicles in the next three months.

Road transport ministry officials said that representatives from the four nations have finalized the motor vehicle agreement at a meeting recently held in Kolkata. "All the sides are committed to put frameworks and protocols in place so that transit across border can start in the next six months," an official said.

The framework was finalized in a meeting of the transport secretaries of the four countries at the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) – another grouping of south Asian countries which includes India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka in Kolkata. Pakistan is not part of this grouping. SASEC was set up in 2001 to bring together these six countries to promote regional prosperity and boosting trade by improving cross border connectivity.

Currently India only has bilateral motor vehicle agreement with Nepal and Bangladesh but a multilateral pact would go a long way in boosting trade in the region.

The move comes after Pakistan did not come on board to sign the agreement during the SAARC summit held in Kathmandu last November, on the ground that it needs more time to consult all its provinces. The SAARC agreement would have allowed free movement of vehicles of each country – cargo as well as passenger vehicles -- to ply in territory of other country through authorized operator.

An official release issued by the ministry said that the agreement will reduce the costly and time-consuming unloading and loading of people and goods at border crossing points and make cross-border trade more efficient.

The agreement will allow passenger, personal and cargo vehicles to travel along designated key routes in the four countries without the need for trans-shipment of goods and passengers at the border crossings.

The arrangements for implementing the agreement will be spelt out through protocols that the four neighbouring countries will negotiate separately under the framework of this agreement, the official release said. "They agreed to set up individual national committees and a sub-regional joint committee for overall facilitation of land transport and to coordinate and monitor the agreement's implementation, it added. "

The sub-regional pact would be a parallel initiative to the proposed Saarc transport agreement for which ongoing efforts to find early resolution would continue. The government said the membership of this sub-regional agreement would be open to all other neighbouring countries, should they so desire.

Source:- Seamless transit across borders comes closer to reality - The Times of India

 

[third eye]

After all the rest of the world has to move on and cannot remain stuck in the past.

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

After all the rest of the world has to move on and cannot remain stuck in the past.

Leaving aside Pakistan the political canvas pan SAARC countries are reflecting stability and confidence. In South Asia the situation has changed dramatically. There is an overt realization of working together amongst the member nations. Pakistan will stall all of the agreements tabled by India in SAARC no matter how mutually beneficial they may be - No one gives a fcuk - the world moves on!

 

[farhan_9909]

Pakistan should pull out of SAARC.

India will never allow Pakistan to have greater ties with the rest of the South asia/

 

[Bang Galore]

Pakistan should pull out of SAARC.

India will never allow Pakistan to have greater ties with the rest of the South asia/

Pulling out is Pakistan's choice, don't think anyone in India really cares.

How btw does India prevent Pakistan from having greater ties with other countries. It is your country that refuses any agreement.

 

[13 komaun]

Good news for the region now B.D and Nepal can trade with ease.

 

[Levina]

Once again Pakistan shot itself in the foot!!

 

[farhan_9909]

Pulling out is Pakistan's choice, don't think anyone in India really cares.

How btw does India prevent Pakistan from having greater ties with other countries. It is your country that refuses any agreement.

India will want to prevent Pakistan from any sort of trade with any neighbor or in short any activity which can promote economic growth of Pakistan

 

[Judge]

Pakistan should pull out of SAARC.

India will never allow Pakistan to have greater ties with the rest of the South asia/

Pakistan really should pull out. It contributes nothing to SAARC via economy, stability, policies.

All it brings is its perennial obstructionist attitude, instability and acts as an outpost for China, Saudi and USA rotationally.

India will want to prevent Pakistan from any sort of trade with any neighbor or in short any activity which can promote economic growth of Pakistan

Pakistan itself did not want to sign the agreement that everyone else wanted to sign.

As I said, it is better that Pakistan promotes integration with Middle East which it looks up to and takes its directions from... and leave South Asian groupings.

 

[Bang Galore]

India will want to prevent Pakistan from any sort of trade with any neighbor or in short any activity which can promote economic growth of Pakistan

Pakistan does that better by itself. How, by not signing this deal does Pakistan hope to trade with these countries?

 

[farhan_9909]

Pakistan really should pull out. It contributes nothing to SAARC via economy, stability, policies.

All it brings is its perennial obstructionist attitude, instability and acts as a proxy for China, Saudi and USA rotationally.


Pakistan itself did not want to sign the agreement that everyone else wanted to sign.

As I said, it is better that Pakistan promotes integration with Middle East which it looks up to and takes its directions from... and leave South Asian groupings.

Nothing?Pakistan can be a source of major energy supply to the rest of south asia from Central asia/Iran.

Anyway i do want Pakistan to pull out of SAARC or even south asia but we can't forgot our true friend like Sri lanka and Bangladesh(without the RAW govt)

 

[Judge]

Pakistan does that better by itself. How, by not signing this deal does Pakistan hope to trade with these countries?

It does because @farhan_9909 is a Pakistani. Ergo any thing that Pakistan does not do or is unable to do is India's fault. Its quite simple.

 

[farhan_9909]

Pakistan does that better by itself. How, by not signing this deal does Pakistan hope to trade with these countries?

For the time being,Pakistan don't want to have such deal with India as it will also allow easy access of RAW agents and indian proxy war in Pakistan.

 

[Bang Galore]

For the time being,Pakistan don't want to have such deal with India as it will also allow easy access of RAW agents and indian proxy war in Pakistan.

That is Pakistan's choice but then the consequences on its trade with other nations of that decision is solely its own doing.

 

[Judge]

Nothing?Pakistan can be a source of major energy supply to the rest of south asia from Central asia/Iran.

Anyway i do want Pakistan to pull out of SAARC or even south asia but we can't forgot our true friend like Sri lanka and Bangladesh(without the RAW govt)

Can be is not the topic of discussion. Pakistan can be the source of the next big scientific discovery that solves cancer...but you can bet you bottom dollar that it will not be.

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have gone ahead and doing a lot of trade agreements without Pakistan. Bangladesh wants no relations with Pakistan and Pakistan has steadily declining relations with Sri Lanka(SL expelled your diplomat, deported Pakistani refugees and removed Pakistan from Visa-on-arrival list)

I don't know what parameters Pakistanis decide 'true friends'. Clearly, Pakistan does not benefit SAARC and Pakistan feels happy in just being an outpost for Arab countries in South Asia.