ROZs in Pakistan, Afghanistan to usher in political stability: US Senator

ISLAMABAD: Democratic US Senator Chris Van Hollen has said the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in Pakistan and Afghanistan border regions will help usher in political stability and block the way for elements like al-Qaeda and ISIS after US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Karachi born Senator Van Hollen said so in virtual conference on the Pakistan-Afghanistan Economic Development Act with the Pakistani and US journalists which was hosted by Pak origin Democratic leader Tahir Javed. It’s a bipartisan bill sponsored by Senator Van Hollen and other members of US congress. In response to another question, the Senator said that the bill does not aim to displace CPEC and in fact he had proposed this bill way back around 15 years back. He said he and colleagues have revived the effort to introduce these incentives to business in Pakistan and Afghanistan to promote employment and business activity to limit the likely chaos after US exit.

Senator Van Hollen remarked that he was conscious of the fact that US packed its bags after Russian exit from Afghanistan in the 80s and did not look back which led to Taliban and al-Qaeda control in the region.

To a question, he said, that there are three ROZs proposed in Pakistan in newly merged areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), other settled districts of KP and in areas in Balochistan which border Afghanistan.

The senator said that he was open to extend the validity of present bill beyond proposed time line of 2030. He said that the bill offered duty free access to Pakistani origin textile and apparel products and more products can be added in coming years subject to US trade considerations. He said that employment to local population will be ensured in the execution of the bill.

Van Hollen remarked that he encourages investment in Pakistan through the US Development Bank for private sector investments in important regions of world and that this and other such facilities are available for private sector ventures in all areas in Pakistan. He said ILO standards would have to be observed in the ROZs and other conditionalities mandatory for US trade.

Democratic leader Tahir Javed said that Pak-US trade could increase tenfold with the successful implementation of the ROZ zones and was hopeful for the successful passage of the bill. Prominent Pakistani journalists participated in the event along with Shahid Ahmed Khan from Boston.

Van Hollen has worked successfully with members of both parties to pass bipartisan legislation including expanding medical research, protecting the Chesapeake Bay, fighting childhood cancer, and passing the ABLE Act to assist families with children with disabilities. He was also instrumental in having a bipartisan letter issued with Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Todd Young for the Kashmir crisis.

In 2019 Senator Van Hollen along with Maggie Hassan made a trip to Pakistan to address the Kashmir conflict and also to oversee the federal administrated trade zones and now is the sponsor for the ROZ Bill.