Chief Collector North reviews establishment of dry port

Chief Collector (North) Sarwat Tahira Habib along with chairman, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KPCCI), Standing Committee on Railways & Dry Port, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi visited Azakhel to review the establishment of the proposed dry port.
Others who accompanied the Chief Collector were included Collector, Customs, Peshawar, Qurban Ali Khan, Additional Collector, Chief Collectorate, Islamabad, Ayesha Wani, Additional Collector Customs, Peshawar Fazal Samad, Deputy Collector, Dry Port Zakir Mohammad Khan, Deputy Collector Adeem Khan, Deputy Collector, Anti-Smuggling Ali Asad, Superintendent, Dry Port Aziz-ur-Rehman Khattak and other senior officials of Pakistan Customs.
The chairman, KPCCI standing committee, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi briefed the Chief Collector in details regarding the establishment of Azakhel Dry Port and highlighted the reservations and hardships faced by the exporters and importers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He welcomed the decision of the Collector Customs, Peshawar Qurban Ali Khan regarding the operationalizing of Azakhel Dry Port. However, he said that the Customs Agents will be ready for it after the provision of all kind of facilities at Azakhel Dry Port.
Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi who is also the chairman of Frontier Customs Agents Group, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said that due to the lack of facilities, exporters and importers facing problems in the existing dry port. He said that due to lack of space and 385 re-conditioned vehicles come under amnesty scheme and unavailability of empty bogies, the exporters of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are dispatching their export bound goods to Karachi through private trucks from where it is clear from customs and exported forward. Such situation has rendered the existing dry port useless.
He said that nature has bestowed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with natural resources and the largest number of the industries of marble, gems, handicrafts, furniture, honey, herbs, carpet and matches are in the province and facilities were provided in the existing dry port then these goods will be exported from it.
He said that the establishment of Azakhel Dry Port is the long standing demand of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Frontier Customs Group and urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to come forward and talk to Pakistan Railways in effective manner and beside provision of facilities at Azakhel also start the clearance of Afghan Transit Trade from the same dry port and not only earn large scale revenue for Pakistan Railways, but also for the FBR.
He on behalf of KPCCI and Frontier Customs Agents Group assured all possible cooperation to the chief collector in connections with the establishment of Azakhel Dry Port.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Collector (North) Sarwat Tahira Habib appreciated the briefing of Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi regarding taking of practical steps for the establishment of dry port and problems faced by the importers and exporters. She while agreeing with his proposals said that the FBR is ready to issue notification for the establishment of the proposed Azakhel Dry Port Customs Station. She assured that FBR will play its due role in the establishment of Azakhel Dry Port. However, she also sought the guidance and assistance of KPCCI and Frontier Customs Agents Group in this regard.