ANP seeks opening of trade routes with Afghanistan

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Tuesday submitted a resolution in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to demand opening all trade routes with Afghanistan.

Submitted by Nisar Mohmand, the resolution stressed that trade with neighbouring Afghanistan was the backbone of the local economy.

The economy of the areas with the Afghan border was depended on this cross-border trade and demanded that Nawa Pass, Angoor Adda and Gossal routes should be opened forthwith, it added.

The resolution asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to convey to the federal government that opening these trade routes would not only ease the woes of the people of the border areas but would also provide an impetus to the national economy.

Meanwhile, another lawmaker of ANP, Faisalzeb Khan, has submitted a call attention notice at the secretariat of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly for opening the tourist spots in the province with strict implementation of the standard operating procedure.

The ANP lawmaker in his notice said that closure of the tourism industry in Malakand and Hazara divisions had rendered thousands of people jobless. It said that these people were faced with severe financial hardships.

It asked the government to open Kalam, Swat, Kaghan, Naran, Nathiagali for tourists with issuing guidelines for the tourists. The opening of tourism sector would provide some respite to the people affiliated with the industry, the notice added.