Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) executive committee member, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi has said that land route export from the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) Risalpur could increase the country's export to Afghanistan.
"Promotion of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan is need of the hour and for this purpose all hurdles should be removed while Pakistani exporters should be facilitated in Afghanistan and Afghan traders here," he said.
Similarly, both countries should further simplify their visa procedures and fares of both PIA and Ariyana airlines should be reduced to facilitate the trading communities and increase the volume of trade between both countries, he said.
Sarhadi said that like past the governments of both countries should restart a luxury bus service on the pattern of Lahore-Delhi Bus Service.
He said that Afghan Mail Service should also be restarted to enable maximum number of traders of both countries to travel between both countries.
Furthermore, the facility of the Red Pass with passports should also be revived, he said, adding that the Afghan government should simplify import to their government and particularly the conditionality of Elm-e-Khabar, a document issued by Afghan Trade commissioners in Peshawar and Chaman, should be waived up in the larger interest of increasing trade volume between both countries.
Before, the export of goods, the concerned Afghan trader used to send a document, Pro forma Invoice on Import, Export License, an attested paper from the Customs Department of Afghanistan.
The Elm-e-Khabar, he said, prepared in the light of the papers sent by Afghan importers was a long and complicated procedure. No country of the world requires this kind of documentation.
The special document issued by Afghan trade commissioner has no concern with the Pakistani exporters, nor it has been mentioned in the trade policy, therefore, the abolition of the condition could make maximum increase in the trade volume between both countries.
Similarly, the Afghan government should also revive trade liaison officers at the offices of trade commissioners at Peshawar and Chaman, he said.
Sarhadi said that both countries should also soften their trade laws as no land route trade was going to Central Asian Republics as the exporters were facing a number of hurdles created by domestic as well as foreign agencies.
He said that for the removal of the hurdles, the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) was required to make all commercial attaches and consular more effective.
Majority of the exporters is least interested in exporting goods to Afghanistan through Iran, as it is 1500 km longer than Pakistani route.
But, due to wrong policies of the government the route has been deprived of earning handsome foreign exchange for the country and if the situation remains the same, then in near future Pakistan would loss their market also.
Pakistani traders and industrialists also tested their fortune in the new Central Asian market and establish trade relations within no time earning a handsome amount of foreign exchange for the country but it proved a short time trade boom, he said.
He said that Chitral district provided shortest access to the Central Asian Republics.
The distance of Attock Bridge to Chitral is 340 kilometers while the distance from Shahi Bazaar Chitral to Tajikistan is only 200 km. In 1993, the National Highway Authority (NHA) conducted the survey of Garam Chishma Ashkasham Highway project to connect Gwadar with Kohat through Kohat Tunnel on Indus Highway to Peshawar, Mardan, Malakand, Dir and Chitral with Tajikistan. The project would have transformed Peshawar, Mardan, Malakand, Dir and Chitral into an international market and now the proposed projects of the extension of Karakoram Highway to Ashquman and Tajikistan just to increase the distance and prevent the cities of NWFP from converting into international market.
The traders of Central Asia and China were using the Chitral route even during the recent era of the State of Chitral for traveling to Peshawar and other parts of the Sub-Continent. The Communist Revolution in Russia closed this route and now after the independence of the Central Asian Republics, Chitral is providing the peaceful and shortest access to them.
Badakhshan, an adjacent Afghan province to Chitral is also a very peaceful and hospitable passage for the traders.
He said that the Central Asian Republics used to import 90 items, including food items like rice, sugar, poultry products, mineral water and garments etc. Pakistan, he said has the potential to import all these items, but still it was far behind other countries in import to these newly independent states.
He said that now was the high time for federal government to take positive and solid steps for promotion of land route trade with central Asia and require a comprehensive Pak-Afghan Trade Policy to help promote land route trade with these Central Asian Republics.
In this connection, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) is also required to play a constructive role in the strengthening of the national economy and revival of the status of Golden Gate for NWFP in trade with Central Asia.
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