Consultation urged before finalising Pak-Afghan trade accord

PESHAWAR: The participants of a meeting have called for finalising a new Afghanistan – Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) after proper consultation with the business community on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border and other relevant stakeholders.

A delegation of KP businessmen led by Shahid Hussain, a former senior vice-president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), during a recent visit to Afghanistan, held a meeting with Sulaiman Bin Shah, Deputy Minister at Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Government of Afghanistan, said a press release.

The participants of the meeting discussed the matters pertaining to bilateral trade along with transit trade and called for proper consultation before finalizing the new APTTA.

Several recommendations in the meeting were presented for bringing ease in the trade and exports through Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi and other trade routes to landlocked Afghanistan and onwards to Central Asian Republics.

Both sides agreed to the proposals to carry out smooth mutual and transit trade between the two neighbouring countries.

The participants were informed that the Pakistan-Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PAPFG), led by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser would soon visit Kabul and meet his Afghan counterpart and other leaders to remove hurdles to bilateral trade, economic relations.

The deputy minister said the APTTA would be finalized during the upcoming meeting of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

Meanwhile, Shahid Hussain, who is also chairman, SCCI Standing Committees on Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics and other members of the KP delegation held meetings with Deputy Minister Local Government, Govt of Afghanistan, and security council chief Dr Sibghatullah Ghaznavi, governor of Jalalabad and other officials of the Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Government of Afghanistan, representatives of trade bodies, relevant departments to discuss matters pertaining to bilateral and transit trade.