Pakistan Gems and Minerals Traders Association has demanded of the government to bring the Afghan traders into the tax net on pattern of the local business community and impose restrictions on the export of precious stones by Afghanis via Pakistan. Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, the association president Abdul Jalil said that the business community in Pakistan was suffering due to weak economic policies but the Afghan traders were freely exporting precious stones to India due to easy availability of the (Indian) visas.

Jalil said that the local business community was paying many kinds of taxes but government was yet to bring the Afghan traders into the tax net and as result Pakistan's foreign exchange and national economy was suffering. The Afghan traders, he pointed out could get the Indian visas very easily and exporting different items, particularly gems and minerals but they were not paying any kind of taxes to Pakistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019