SCCI calls for more Pak-Iran trade

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Muhammad Ishaq said on Monday enhancement of Pak-Iran bilateral trade was imperative for strengthening the national economy.

He said this while talking to the Commercial Attaché of the Iranian Consulate, Hossein Amini, and Acting Consul General of Iran in Peshawar Hossein Maliki during a meeting here at the Chamber’s House.

The Pak-Iranian bilateral trade, holding of joint exhibitions, business-to-business meetings, exchange of trade delegations and taking mutual benefits from each other's experiences, hurdles in the way of mutual trade came under discussion. The SCCI chief said a comprehensive plan would be devised, through which efforts would be made to enhance bilateral trade between the two brotherly Islamic countries by exchanging business delegations, organizing trade exhibitions and learning from each other’s experiences.

He emphasized the need for the removal of hurdles in the way of Pak-Iranian bilateral trade, for which initiatives were needed at the government level. Muhammad Ishaq said the SCCI was striving to boost mutual trade and economic relations with brotherly Islamic countries, including Iran.

However, he underscored the need for pragmatic steps at the government level to remove the impediments to bilateral trade. Shahid Hussain, senior vice president of the SCCI while speaking on the occasion stated that vast opportunities were available to strengthen trade and economic relations between Pakistan and Iran.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa industrialists were ready to import raw materials from Iran but traders’ communities was faced with difficulties owing to the imposition of global sanctions. The SCCI office-bearers called for resolving of all issues and hurdles through proper procedures and mechanisms to boost the Pak-Iranian economic ties.