SCCI urges Islamabad, Kabul to facilitate business community

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has urged the Islamabad and Kabul to take measures to facilitate the business community on both sides of the border to strengthen the bilateral and transit trade relations between the two neighbouring countries.

This was stated by SCCI Senior Vice-President, Shahid Hussain during a meeting with Afghan Consul General in Peshawar, Najeebullah Ahmadzai, here on Thursday. Abdul Jalil Jan, the chamber vice president, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, a former senior vice president of SCCI and Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Imtiaz Ali, Chairman, SCCI Standing Committee on Land Route, and representative of Afghan business community, Abdullah were present at the meeting.

Shahid Hussain stressed the need for removal of the hurdles to trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He called upon the Islamabad and Kabul to facilitate the business community by taking joint measures to find an amicable solution to the issues which are hampering the mutual trade between them. The SCCI office-bearer observed that the mutual Pak-Afghan trade volume is very low. He said it can be enhanced by taking joint measures by Pakistan and Afghanistan governments. He demanded the timely issuance of visas to the business community.

Shahid Hussain said the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Agreement of 2010 should be reviewed to address the concerns of the business community on both sides of the border. He urged both governments to make policies and ink agreements by taking the business community into confidence to make them durable and sustainable as well as viable. The SCCI rep said import and export interests should be protected at every level. He said the government of Pakistan has taken serious steps due to which trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has started improving. Earlier, speaking on the occasion, Afghan Consul General Najeebullah Ahmadzai welcomed the SCCI delegation. The Afghan diplomat appreciated the concerns about major obstacles in way of the bilateral and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He assured concrete steps would be taken to enhance the bilateral trade. Najeebulalh Ahmadzai said the trade ties would be separated from politics to give a boost to bilateral and transit trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He promised the SCCI delegation timely issuance of visas to the business community.