Better economic partners than political adversaries
In this article, we review the political and economic relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan. We propose a conceptual reformulation of the existing institutions governing the bilateral relations between the two countries. The cost of non-cooperation and politically motivated strategies is too high for the people of the two countries. The zero-sum game has contributed to the conflict, instability and has created a trust deficit blackhole. To move forward, we propose changing the rules of the game by ending the power-centered dominance that has a monopoly over the bilateral and separating politics from economics interests to the extent possible. Our solutions presume existing of rule of law a priori. Of those we discuss three possibilities, the development of bilateral trade-investment agreement that institutionalizes the separation and defines the role of the market actors. Then attempts to proliferate of small joint initiatives, small transactions/projects. These are both possible and feasible given the resource constraints facing both countries. Finally, APTTA revision with the right regional vision that ties the interests of both parties.