Exchange of revised ATTA document: Islamabad, Kabul working out dates

Pakistan and Afghanistan are working out dates for exchange of revised Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) document to make the new history by putting the agreement operational in 30 days, it was learnt here Friday.
Following Afghanistan intention to sign the exchange of the revised ATTA in Islamabad, the government departments such as the Ministry of Commerce and the Foreign Office are working closely to finalise a date with Kabul to exchange revised ATTA document.
Sources in the Foreign Office said the Afghan government has intended to have a ceremony in Islamabad for exchange of document for revised ATTA in Islamabad as the former has sent the revised agreement document to the concerned departments for making necessary arrangements for making the agreement operational to facilitate two-way trade under new ATTA.
"After vetting by the Law Division we have sent agreement document to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), port authorities and agencies for making necessary arrangement for facilitation to the traders of both countries under the revised ATTA," said a senior official of the Foreign Office here.
Pakistan and Afghanistan had signed the revised ATTA after hectic consultations with the stakeholders that lasted for more than a year. The revised ATTA was signed in Kabul some one and half months back. Commerce minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim signed the revised ATTA on behalf of president of Pakistan. This was followed by sending of the agreement document to the Law Division for vetting a legal requirement needed for seeking endorsement of the agreement.
The official said the Law Division endorsed the new ATTA paving way for exchange of document with the Afghan government. The two sides are now going to exchange the document in a ceremony in Islamabad shortly. As per one of the provisions of the revised ATTA, the new agreement will come into force ultimately once the exchange of document is done.
Pakistan and Afghanistan consider the new ATTA extremely important and now when its stage of exchange of document is approaching near the two sides want to celebrate by holding a graceful ceremony in Islamabad, the official said.
The head of the state of the two countries are likely to grace the ceremony to be organised for exchange of document with their presence to make the event historic in real terms, he added. Under the United Nations charter Pakistan is committed to facilitating Afghanistan, a land locked country, as transit trade to have trade with the international community. The two countries had signed the first ATTA in 1960. Now when the new development has taken place there was a dire need to revise the ATTA and Pakistan to grant Afghanistan some new concessions.
This led to negotiations between Islamabad and Kabul, which lasted for months. Some international players like the US also played a key role in bringing Pakistan and Afghanistan closer on controversial issues in the revised ATTA process. Finally the two side reached a new ATTA one and half months ago. Pakistan has also given some key concessions such as adding of the new two ports and some new entry points at the border to facilitate Afghan side for facilitation for quick import and exports.