Afghan official for opening of Torkham-Chaman border

Afghan Trade Commissioner Dr Mirwais Yousafzai has said that linking trade with politics was not in the best interest of Pakistan and Afghanistan, and urged the Pakistani government to open the Torkham and Chaman border to ease the miseries of traders at both sides. The Afghan official said that trade had come to a halt for last several days amid ongoing tensions between the neighbouring countries that was ultimately suffered trade ties as well as traders' community at both sides of the border.
He hoped the Islamabad should review its decision and open the border to avoid further losses to traders' community. Mirwais Yousafzai said this at a news conference held at the press club here on Monday. Flanked by Traders Alliance President Haji Rasool Khan and Afghan Transport Owners Association President Mohammad Noor Ahmadzai, the Afghan official said the political tension always hit the trade relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, saying trade should not be sacrificed for sake of politics. He said Saarc and WTO rules didn't permit to halt trade relations.
Rasool Khan said the closure of Pak-Afghan border had inflicted huge financial losses to Afghan traders, adding a large number of vehicles loaded with food and perishable items stranded at both sides of the border. He asked the Pakistani government to devise a separate policy for Afghan traders. "We are ready to pay all legal taxes under any new policy in the country," Rasool said. He informed that Afghan traders had presently paying out 17 percent on head of sale tax, 4.5 percent income tax and three percent VTA tax to Pakistanis authorities.
Yousafzai said the closure of border had also great impact on the Pakistan. "Trade and politics is completely separate and different sector," he added and urged Islamabad to open the gate at Torkham in great interest of the both countries. Noor Ahmadzai said most of Afghan transit vehicles loaded with food or perishable items had stranded due to the prolonged closure of Pak-Afghan border, due to which the transporters had suffered huge financial losses and their families compiled on starvation, he added.
The Transporters President said the trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan was already at low level, while Pakistani government steps would further impede the trade ties between the two neighbouring countries. He claimed that owing to ongoing tensions, the trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan had decreased from $2.5 billion to $1 million, as both countries were far away to achieve the trade target of $5 billion.
The Transporters President urged the Prime Minister, President, CoAS and Corps Commander Peshawar, to immediately open Torkham and Chaman borders to resume the trade relations between the two countries.