PESHAWAR: The business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has demanded the opening of Pak-Afghan borders at Torkham and Chaman for six days a week to enhance bilateral trade and fill the shortage of vegetables and other essentials in Afghanistan.
The call was made during a meeting held here at the office of the KP board of Investment & Trade (KP-BoIT) with Special Assistant to KP CM on Industries and Commerce, Abdul Karim Khan said a press release issued here Monday.
Beside, Afghan Consul-General, Najibullah Ahmadzai, Afghan Trade Attach Mohammad Fawad Arsh, First Secretary Afghanistan, Ghulam Habib Sabaq, Deputy Afghan Trade Attach Dr. Hameedullah. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) KP-BoIT, Hassan Daud Butt, FPCCI Coordinator for KP Sartaj Ahmad Khan, former senior vice president, Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Shahid Hussain and Shahid Shinwari also attended the meeting.
The participants of the meeting demanded the opening of Torkham Border for a period of six days a week as a good gesture during coronavirus lockdown to promote Pak-Afghan bilateral trade.
The meeting also discussed the issues of the stranding of over 7000 Afghan transit trade loaded containers in different parts of the country from Karachi to Khyber and thousands of empty containers in Afghanistan, problems of transporters and charging of additional charges in head of detention and demurrage charges also came under discussion during the meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, Special Assistant to KP CM on Industries and Commerce, Abdul Karim Khan directed the CEO KP-BoIT for holding meetings with the Ministries of Commerce and Interior for increase in bilateral trade with Afghanistan and minimizing of hurdles in transit trade and taking steps for guaranteeing the supply of food items to Afghanistan as good gesture.
He assured all possible cooperation to business community for minimizing hurdles in Pak-Afghan bilateral and transit trade. He said that the history of Pak-Afghan trade is centuries old and people living on both sides of the border share the share language, religion and nation.
