President Ghani's visit bridges Pakistan-Afghan trust gap

As President Ghani's wins Prime Minister Sharif's support for peace with the Taliban, Afghanistan will now expect a proactive role of Pakistan in the peace process. Pakistan's top security adviser Sartaj Aziz says his country is ready to facilitate the Afghan peace process and the role will be possible after Kabul takes the initiative to chalk out a strategy for dialogue with the Taliban.

Pakistan's powerful military is also championing the political leadership in its efforts to bury the hatchet of the past and open a new chapter of tensions-free bilateral ties.

Army Chief General Raheel Sharif's trip to Kabul this month and President Ghani's visit to the Pakistan's military headquarters are strong indications that the military and the political leadership are on same page to boost cooperation in all areas.

When meeting with President Ghani in Kabul, the army chief had offered training to the Afghan security forces as they need capacity building to meet the security challenges when NATO ends its combat mission. Pakistan boasts of best military training facilities that could benefit the Afghan forces at this critical juncture.

Ghani's visit also enabled the two counties to give a boost to economic and trade ties as they agreed to double bilateral trade from the current 2.5 billion U.S. dollars by the end of 2017. Bilateral trade had been only 500 million dollars during the Taliban regime.

Finance ministers of the two countries signed an agreement to enhance bilateral trade, promoting investment and joint production in designated free economic zones in Afghanistan.

Pakistan has been providing transit facility to the landlocked Afghanistan since 1960s and both sides agreed to streamline transit trade matters, strengthen road and rail links, enhance energy collaboration, including building joint ventures in petroleum sector, and facilitating Pakistan's access to Central Asian markets.

Both countries also agreed on formation of a Joint Business Council to provide an institutional platform for enhanced business and investment collaboration. They will also initiate negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA).

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