ISLAMABAD: SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sunday said Pakistan and Iran have shown unforgettable generosity in hosting millions of Afghans reminding the rest of the world to come forward and help Afghanistan.

This was stated by the President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik on Sunday while talking to a traders delegation led by Chaudhry Kaleem Ullah Anjum Arain.

He said the 57 nation OIC which met in Islamabad recently resolved to work with the UN to get the entire frozen assets unlocked.

He said this money is critically needed to sustain, stabilise and revive the Afghan economy and to save millions of lives of poor and hungry Afghan children, women and men.

He said this would be the most effective and generous display of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.

He underlined the need to jump -start Afghanistan’s economy through increased liquidity and called upon the world especially Europe and US must pull the economy back from the brink by freeing up entire frozen currency reserves and re-engage Afghanistan Central Bank.

Iftikhar Ali Malik said international funding must be allowed to pay the salaries of public sector employees he said adding that the Afghan economy was enduring a bitter winter of its own. He warned that the Afghan currency could go into free fall and country could lose 30 percent of its GDP within the year.

He said Pakistan, on the request of SAARC Chamber, has abolished majority of taxes on Afghan transit trade while remaining customs duties were highly slashed to maximum extent to provide solace to traders war torn country.

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