KARACHI: Pakistan Customs have assured all-out support to Afghanistan Customs over their request for streamlining the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) but at the same time Pak Customs officials are reluctant to do the job of custom clearance of ATT as per the request of the Afghan government, which had asked Pakistan Customs to facilitate them in this regard too.
When contacted, Directorate of Transit Trade Director General Khawar Fareed Manika told Customs Today that the department was working on the proposals of the Afghan government.
However, he said that the Pakistan Customs has proposed that the Afghanistan government should send its own customs officers to do the job of clearance, while they would be extended all-out support by the Pak Customs, like providing them with infrastructure for their offices and other logistic support.
He said that soon a comprehensive meeting will be held with Afghanistan officials with a view to streamline the Afghan Transit Trade to ensure safe and secure transportation of trucks and containers on the entire ATT route.
Sources said that the Pakistan Customs would also contact the Ministry of Transport and Communication with a view to improve transportation facilities on the ATT route.
The sources further disclosed that the Afghan Customs authorities have also expressed their deep concerns over pilferage/theft of ATT containers on their way to Afghanistan.
On this, the sources said that the Pakistan Customs has also sought support from top security agencies of the country for the safe and swift handling and transportation of Afghan transit goods from Karachi to the Afghanistan border.
It may also be mentioned here that a major scam of 2,700 missing containers en route to ATT made headlines both in the print and electronic media of the country during 2007.
The Directorate of Afghan Transit Trade may soon evolve a strategy in this regard and forward its recommendation to the Finance and Interior Ministries for their approval.
