Government urged to 'formalise' trade activities with Afghanistan

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Saturday asked the government to take steps to "formalise" trade activities with Afghanistan in order to facilitate the business community and generate revenue for the country.

He maintained that the trade activities were being carried out through the unfrequented routes, which was damaging Pakistan's economy.

According to a press release, he was talking to a delegation of businessmen and lawyers at the party secretariat Watan Kor in Peshawar.

On the occasion, Syed Hammad Kazmi, President of Kurram Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Syed Ali Faisal Kazmi, Secretary General of Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Retired judge Safeer Qaiser Malik, provincial Senior Vice-Chairman of All Pakistan Muslim League, Anwarullah Advocate of Pakistan People's Party and others announced joining the QWP.

Reposing confidence in the QWP Chairman, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, the businessmen informed him about their problems. They sought the help of the QWP leader to use his contacts and good relations with the Afghan government to help resolve their issues.

Aftab Sherpao assured the delegation that he would spare no effort to highlight their problems at all forums in addition to taking up their issues with the Afghan government in a bid to facilitate them.

He said his party would soon convene a conference of the businessmen representing all bodies of the traders to learn about their issues and subsequently iron out a strategy to help resolve their problems.

The QWP leader urged the government to remove the hurdles hampering trade activities between Islamabad and Kabul. He added that the bilateral trade volume was very low and concrete efforts were needed to promote trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Aftab Sherpao said that Pakistan must not ignore Afghanistan as it was a big market for the country so the government should facilitate the business community to do business in the neighbouring country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019