SCCI demands prompt steps to open Pak-Afghan highway for trade

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fazal Moqeem Khan urged federal government and relevant authorities to take emergent steps to open Pak-Afghan highway for trade and transportation to save traders on both sides of the border from further monetary losses.
A statement issued here on Sunday, Fazal Moqeem said bilateral trade, transit trade and export has come to end owing to closure of Pak-Afghan highway trade routes for the last several months.
He added Pak-Afghan mutual trade volume and transit trade had dropped to alarming situation owing to closure of the trade route, consequently, the trade has been shifted from Pakistan to Iran and Central Asian states.
Moqeem feared if the government couldn’t take timely actions, the bilateral trade will completely end, which would not only be detrimental for the national economy but also trigger unemployment owing to closure of business and trade.
Zahidullah Shinwari, former president while expressing views about the closure of Pak-Afghan highway stated that Pak-Afghan bilateral trade volume is already very low.
He said mutual trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and transit trade has come to a complete end in wake of the closure of the trade route for the last several months.
He said halting bilateral trade and transit trade has also inflicted huge financial loss to traders on both sides.
On the other hand, Mr Shinwari said local people and passengers were also being faced with hardship owing to blockage of Pak-Afghan highway.
Zahidullah Shinwari emphasized the need for a sorting solution of the issue with mutual consensus and negotiation to resume the bilateral trade and transit trade and save the traders from further monetary loss.
It is reported that president of Afghanistan/Kabul Chamber of Commerce and Industry also expressed concern over closure of Pak-Afghan highway, according to him, Pak-Afghan bilateral trade had dropped by 80 percent.
The Kabul chamber chief also said bilateral trade volume between Afghanistan and Iran had touched at $2billion. He stressed for early addressing the closure of Pak-Afghan highway.