German envoy meets businessmen in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: German Ambassador to Pakistan Alfred Grannas on Monday visited the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Industry and assured support to the traders and industrialists on behalf of the German people and the government.

The German envoy was accorded a warm welcome upon his arrival where he held a detailed meeting with the Peshawar Chamber President Salman Ellahi Malik. Alfred Grannas also met the Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Industry former presidents, including Shakil Ahmad Khan, Adnan Jalil, Khalid Farooq and executive members.

Salman Ellahi Malik told the German ambassador that traders and industrialists in this part of the country had faced numerous problems due to the war on terrorism, coronavirus and now floods.

He said the traders from Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa faced hardships in obtaining trade visas for Germany and called for softening the visa policy to facilitate the traders from Peshawar.

Ambassador Alfred Grannas was requested to ask the German government to organize exhibitions for Peshawar traders to boost trade between the countries. Businessman and former senator Ghulam Ali said that traders in KP had faced great hardships owing to militancy, Covid-19 and the recent floods, which had badly affected the businesses in the province.

He requested the envoy to establish an institute in Peshawar so the youth could learn the German language instead of English to promote trade ties between the two countries. Ambassador Alfred Grannas said that he had heard about Peshawar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and liked the hospitality of the people they offered to visitors.

He said that small traders proved the notion by offering exemplary hospitality and respect and love. He said that he would try his best to promote the relations between the traders of Peshawar and Germany.