Pakistan Chemicals and Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) has urged the government to carry out strict surveillance of Afghanistan bound imports under new Afghan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). Chairman PCDMA Muhammad Haroon Agar warned the government of possible damaging repercussion could hit the local industry and the country's imports if it did not make proper arrangements for Afghanistan bound imports under APTTA.
He said the local industrialists had already been demanding the review of old APTTA of 1965. However, he urged the government to put quantitative measures over the Afghan imports through sea and rationalise tariffs duties of imported items in line with the figures applied to Pak importers.
Expressing fears, he said, "we firmly believe that this is not the quantum and quantity which is required by Afghanistan whereas majority of these goods are re-routed to Pakistan and create problems for the manufacturing sector of Pakistan". He said the government should ensure Afghanistan-bound goods through Wahgha should not enter Pakistani markets and only allow the sealed containers installed with tracking devices.
Expressing surprise over the Information Minister's statement, Agar said Pakistan was already doing trade with Central Asian states through Shahrae-e-Karakoram and with Iran and Turkey under ECO pact. Chairman PCDMA suggested that India and Afghanistan should do trade under international law through sea en route for Karachi, saying the local traders were suspicious regarding the trade in the absence of bilateral trade ties between Pakistan and India.