Context: Recently, Pakistan announced reopening a key border crossing from July 15 to resume exports from Afghanistan to India.

• "At the special request of the government of Afghanistan and with a view to facilitating Afghanistan’s transit trade, Pakistan has decided to resume Afghan exports through Wagah border.

Key Points

• The decision, which is part of Islamabad’s commitment under Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement, is expected to boost Afghanistan’s exports to India.
• India had cancelled the Most Favoured Nation status for Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pulwama attack.
• The announcement from Pakistan has come at a time when Afghanistan’s melon harvesting season is at its peak and the availability of the Indian market is expected to help its economy.

About Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement

• The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (also known as APTTA) is a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2010 by Pakistan and Afghanistan that calls for greater facilitation in the movement of goods amongst the two countries.
• In 2017, the President of Afghanistan announced that The Afghanistan and Pakistan Trade Agreement (APTA) has expired, and issued a decree banning Pakistani trucks from entering the country via the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings.
• The 2010 APTTA allows for both countries to use each other’s airports, railways, roads, and ports for transit trade along designated transit corridors.
• The agreement does not cover road transport vehicles from any third country, be it from India or any Central Asia country.

India – Afghanistan relations

• Afghanistan is India’s natural ally and India is interested in maintaining the relationship with Afghanistan as a friendly state. This will help India to counter Pakistan and cultivate assets to influence activities in Pakistan.
• The relations are spread over a number of realms like culture, trade, sports, ancient dynasty linkages etc. 
• Afghanistan has a mineral wealth of about $1-3 trillion of Iron ore, Lithium, Chromium, Natural Gas, Petroleum etc. India is willing to invest in Afghanistan to harness these resources for the development of both nations. 
• A strong relation with Afghanistan may open up the door to Central Asia for India. India may play a major role in the security and stability of the region with Afghanistan’s cooperation. 

Wagah Border

• The Wagah border crossing draws its name from Wahga village, near which the Radcliffe Line, the boundary demarcation line dividing India and Pakistan upon the Partition of British India, was drawn.
• At the time of the independence in 1947, migrants from India entered Pakistan through this border crossing.
• Wagah is a village situated on the Grand Trunk Road between Amritsar of India and Lahore in Pakistan.
• The Wagah border is known as the Attari border on the Indian side.

Wagah-Attari border ceremony

• The Wagah-Attari border ceremony happens at the border gate, two hours before sunset each day.
• The flag ceremony is conducted by the Pakistan Rangers and Indian Border Security Force (BSF).
• A marching ceremony, known as the “Silly Walk ceremony”, is conducted each evening along with the flag ceremony.