Pakistani and Iranian officials met on Monday along the border town of Taftan and discussed resumption of cross-border informal trade, local media reported. Informal trade has been going-on for years at Taftan, a town located in Chagai District, over 600km from Quetta.
But the informal trade had been stopped for one-and-half month, forcing the traditional traders to shift to other places. A Pakistani official Qamar Masood said that the meeting lasted two-and-half hour and discussed options for the re-opening of the trade.
"The Iranian officials assured Pakistani side that they would inform high authorities about the issue," Geo television quoted Masood as saying. Local media reports that around 5000 labours are involved in informal trade and they are waiting for the resumption of the trade via Taftan, the only official land border point between the two countries.
The two countries have an agreement in 1957 for border trade. "Although it was an introductory meeting but the two sides discussed important matters," Masood said.