Peshawar    -      Hafiz Mohibullah Shakir, Acting Consul General at the Afghan Consulate in Peshawar, and businessmen from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agreed to launch a collaborative effort to remove barriers to Pak-Afghan bilateral and transit trade. According to a press release issued here on Saturday, the agreement was reached during a meeting of local businessmen with the Acting Consul General of the Afghan Consulate.

The businessmen were led by Zia-ulHaq Sarhadi, ex-vice president of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI). Mufti Noorullah Hotak, Second Secretary Consulate General, Waheedullah Himat, Commercial Attache, and Protocol Officer, Shahid Zaheer were also present at the meeting. Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, a former vice president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), informed meeting participants about the difficulties faced by businessmen involved in the Pak-Afghan trade.

Mr Zia’s concerns include the restoration of the Afghan document Ilm-oKhabar, the formation of a liaison committee between the two countries, and the problems faced by exporters, importers, and industrialists. On this occasion, Afghan Consulate officials also informed the businessmen of their suggestions and reservations regarding unnecessary and unregistered checkpoints at the Torkham border, non-implementation of decisions regarding cross-tufting of Afghan transit containers into local containers, and inflicting losses on Afghan businessmen under the heading of detention charges.

They also expressed concern about the delay in checking Afghan transit goods at the Karachi seaport, which caused the consignment to be delayed. Speaking on the occasion, Zia-ul Haq stated that it is urgent for both the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to take steps to remove barriers to trade between the two countries. He added that bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is critical to bringing prosperity to the region and that this goal can be achieved by making sincere efforts.