Home »Business and Economy » Pakistan » Government urged to grant status of free trade country to Afghanistan
A leading industrialist of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former president, Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zahidullah Shinwari has demanded of the government and authorities concerned to lift all unnecessary restrictions on Afghan traders and granted a free trade country status to Afghanistan to give further boost to bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Shinwari said while speaking at Meet the Press Program, organized by Landi Kotal Press Club on Sunday said that the mutual trade relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have affected due to imposition of additional restrictions on Afghan traders. He added the Afghan importers are looking for other markets to meet their needs, because the unnecessary hurdles in Pakistan.

He explained that five expensive and time consuming securities were set for the Afghan traders who used to import through transit trade via Pakistan that disheartened Afghan traders and they sought other alternative roots and in protest the Afghan businessmen ignored Pak commodities and started importing goods from other countries.

That was the reason the Pakistan who was top of list of importers for Afghanistan slipped to 3rd number. Similarly Afghanistan that was 3rd big exporter country for Pakistan after America and European Union downed to 5th number, he added. "Ironically, he furthermore maintained that Pakistan trade with neighboring countries is fixed by political ties and therefore when political relations are cordial, business with the countries boost and vice-versa",

He urged the government to lift all unnecessary restrictions and granted free trade country status to Afghanistan to improve the trade relations between the two countries. Shinwari stressed the need for estbablishemnt of sustainable peace economic uplift of tribal districts. He expressed his dissatisfaction over the prevailed poor economic condition in tribal districts and said huge unemployment led the youth community to anti-social activates so the incumbent government needed to launch a massive economic improvement scheme at gross root level to rise life standard of the residents of the area.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019


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