ISLAMABAD: The prevailing political impasse has not affected trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The government and the commerce ministry have blamed the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the Pakistan Awami Tehreek protesters for inflicting billions of rupees losses to the national exchequer. The government had been saying that exports had been blocked because foreign buyers had stopped placing new orders due to political uncertainty in the country.
A source at the commerce ministry told Customs Today that trade activities and transportation of goods to Afghanistan via Torkham and Chaman borders continued despite much hue and cry over the political crisis.
“This was perhaps due to the remoteness of the areas because no Afghanistan-bound container either passed through Islamabad or any other point which could be found blocked by protesters,” the source added. Containers carrying goods either under Afghan Transit Trade or any other agreement remained uninterrupted during the last 45 days.
“Shipment of imported goods; fruits and vegetables had also been continuation during this period from Afghanistan and containers loaded with these items had been landing in Peshawar and Quetta,” he added.
Currently, volume of Pak-Afghan bilateral trade is about $2.4 billion and both countries have been striving to enhance the volume of bilateral trade to $5 billion.
In this regard, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Syed Abrar Hussain and Afghan Deputy Minister for Trade Mozammil Shinwari agreed on the issue in a meeting held in May in Kabul.
