PESHAWAR: Businessmen engaged in bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan said on Friday that the trade volume and Afghan Transit Trade had considerably declined in recent years.
If the demands of businessmen were not given due attention, the challenges and problems would aggravate and cause a drastic decline in trade and commerce in the region, they warned.
In a meeting in the Customs Department at the border point of Torkhem, the businessmen called for immediate resolution of their problems.
The meeting was held under Collector Customs Appraisement Peshawar Muhammad Ashfaq’s directives and chaired by Muhammad Rizwan, the Additional Collector Appraisement Torkhem.
The objective of the meeting was to arrange a discussion between businessmen from both nations along with authorities for the resolution of the problems and removal of hindrances in bilateral trade.
Those who attended the meeting included Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Director Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Khalid Shezad, SVP PAJCCI, Faiz Muhammad Faizi, former president SCCI, Haleem Ullah, Superintendent Torkhem, and Haji Azeemullah, President Transport Torkhem,.
From the Afghan side, the conference was attended by Engr Muslim Khaksar, Director Gumrag Torkhem, Qari Zahid, Haji Asmat Ullah, Maulvi Muhammad Yasir, Haji Ziaullah, Qari Abdul Samad, and others.
Addressing the meeting, Zia Sarhadi highlighted different problems being faced by the business community of Pakistan.
Seizing containers harm trade
He said the majority of the truck carrying commodities to Afghanistan were being seized there along with empty containers in Khawar area of Maidan, Jalalabad.
Zia said that over 2500 to 3000 trucks and containers are still parked in that place, causing an increase in fares from Rs.150,000 to Rs. 5,20,000 for carrying commodities from Karachi to Jalalabad
Likewise, the shipping companies are charging an amount of 120 dollars on a daily basis over delays in the return of the container, causing huge losses to the business community. He demanded forthwith immediate of all the containers and trucks that have been detained in Jalalabad.
