ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said it was necessary to find new markets to boost trade and reduce the trade deficit as Central Asian states were major trading markets with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Afghanistan being the gateway.

The speaker expressed these views, while presiding a high-level meeting on trade, foreign investment, and Pak-Afghan transit trade, here on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Special Envoy of the Prime Minister for Afghanistan Sadiq Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Ayub Afridi, Advisor to the Chief Minister KP, Karim Khan, Chairman Board of Investment, secretary commerce, and secretary industries.

The speaker said that a special technical group should be formed for the promotion of foreign trade. He said that Special Economic Zones should be established in the former FATA and Pak-Afghan border to provide employment to the local population and promote foreign trade.

He further said the former integrated districts of the FATA had been most affected in the war on terror. He said China and Pakistan had excellent relations and there were vast opportunities for trade between the two countries.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021