SCCI demands 24/7 opening of Pak-Afghan Torkham, Chaman border

• The participants demanded “complete opening of the Pak-Afghan border” so that trade activities in the province could be boosted up.
• Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan was on a constant decline with most of the volume being shifted to Iran and India.
• The chamber president condemned large number of Afghan transit trade goods containers being held on pretext of passing them through scanning process at Karachi port.

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while expressing conceren over the government's decision to open Pak-Aghan Torkham and Chaman borders for five days a week, has demanded to keep open the border round the clock in order to unhurt Pak-Afghan transit and bilateral trade besides avoiding further financial losses to traders and exporters.

The concerns were raised during a meeting of traders, exporters and importers, held here at the chamber on Tuesday under SCCI President Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz in chair.

Besides, the chamber senior vice president, Shahid Hussain, Vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, traders and exporters associated with Afghan transit trade were present in the meeting.

The participants demanded “complete opening of the Pak-Afghan border” so that trade activities in the province could be boosted up.

SCCI chief informed the meeting that federal ministry interior had issued notification to keep open Torkham and Chaman border 5 days a week for export only (both for Afghan transit trade and bilateral trade), according to which minimum 100 trucks each were allowed from Torkham and Chaman border per day, which would not only hurt the traders income but would also cause heavy losses to the national exchequer.

Engr Maqsood said Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan was on a constant decline with most of the volume being shifted to Iran and India.

Therefore, he stressed the need for opening of both Torkham and Chaman border for 24/7 to give boost to Afghan transit trade and mutual trade, besides to ease difficulties of the business community.

Maqsood Pervaiz informed that trucks/containers loaded with perishable items, like vegetable and fruits were parked at Landi Kotal and Takhta Baig due to which items worth millions of rupees were in danger of going to waste.

During the meeting, the chamber president condemned large number of Afghan transit trade goods containers being held on pretext of passing them through scanning process at Karachi port.

Furthermore, he informed the meeting that nearly 7,000 Afghan transit goods containers were being held for scanning process at Karachi port, while the traders and exporters are charged of detention charges under prevailing situation which is unjust.

He urged the government to bring easiness in clearance process in order to ease their difficulties and unhurt Pak-Afghan transit trade business and mutual trade between two countries.