Agreement on efforts to remove hurdles to Pak-Afghan trade

PESHAWAR: The Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the newly appointed Afghan Consul General in Peshawar have agreed to launch joint efforts to remove hurdles to the bilateral and transit trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The agreement was reached during a meeting of a delegation of traders, importers and exporters led by the chamber Vice-President Ziaul Haq Sarhadi with acting Afghan Consul General in Peshawar Hafiz Mohibullah, according to a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Newly appointed commercial attaché Wahidullha Himat, deputy attaché Dr Hamidullah Fazilkhel, outgoing commercial attache Fawad Arash and others were present during the meeting.

Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, chamber Director Shahid Hussain, Manzoor Elahi, General Secretary Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Farooq Ahmad welcomed the newly appointed Afghan consul and deputy consul general in Peshawar and assured them of all kinds of cooperation.

The chamber’s members gave a number of proposals for removing the impediments to the Pak-Afghan mutual and transit trade, which were well received by the Afghan diplomats.

They said joint efforts are essential to address issues that are obstructing mutual trade between the two neighbouring countries.

Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, who is also president of Frontier Customs Agents Association, pointed out a number of drawbacks and issues in the previously signed Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA), owing to which, the traders on both sides of the borders were facing a host of problems.

He stressed the need for signing the fresh ATTA after consulting traders from both countries as key stakeholders. Ziaul Haq Sarhadi said Pakistan’s export to Afghanistan had gone down by 35 per cent.

He hailed the Afghan government initiatives for trade facilitation between the two countries. Engr Manzoor Elahi and Shahid Hussain also spoke on the occasion.

They demanded the retaining condition of form ‘E’ for export and form ‘I’ for import till the economic recovery, proper functioning of banks in Afghanistan as well as recognition of the present Afghan government.

They said that barter trade should be promoted between two countries till the implementation of the proposal. The delegation praised the newly appointed Afghan diplomats for their efforts and initiatives for the promotion of mutual Pak-Afghan and transit trade.