‘Pak-Afghan trade at lowest level’

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Thursday urged the two countries not to mix trade and political issues as it was damaging the mutual trade.

Talking to The News, Director, Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ziaul Haq Sarhadi said the trade between the two countries was at its lowest ebb due to political hostilities.

He said the mutual trade dropped from 2.6 billion to just $1.6 billion annually which was a matter of grave concern for the business community of the neighbouring countries. Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, who is also president of Frontier Customs Agents Group Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said that the trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan can be enhanced to $7.5 billion annually if the two governments removed hurdles in the trade at different levels.

He demanded review of the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement, saying the agreement had become obsolete and needed rectification. Mutual trade had recorded an increase of 65 percent and the trade volume had crossed the figure of $2.5 billion in 2014-15 but factors like hostility between Pakistan and Afghanistan, unfavourable conditions and shifting of a huge portion of this trade to Chabahar Port in Iran were the major factors behind the decline between the two states, he added.

Sarhadi said the trade volume was further shrinking day by the day, adding India had established a second areal corridor with Afghanistan and it imported 1,550 tonnes of fresh and dry fruits, handmade carpets and herbal to India.

He said the first aerial corridor was established in June 2017 and about 52 flights operated during this period. Sarhadi said that mutual trade between India and Afghanistan reached $600 million, adding it would be enhanced to one billion dollars this year which was alarming for Pakistan. He called for steps like relaxing the customs rules, facilitating the transportation of goods and modify the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement to enhance trade between the two countries.