QUETTA: Chairman of the Balochistan chapter of Pakistan Businesses Forum (PBF) Engr Daroo Khan Achakzai has said there is need to further strengthen cross-border trade with neighbouring countries to boost exports and provide employment opportunities to the people living near the border areas of Balochistan.
He said that the Pak-Afghan border stretches 2,430 kilometres, where ethnic groups such as the Pashtuns live on both sides of the border and maintain close contact, owing to their traditional cultural, linguistic and economic ties.
In addition to livelihood-related interactions, both formal and informal, and often provided by extensive trade networks, border communities also rely on cross-border commuting to access education and healthcare.
Addressing the meeting, he said Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Regional Integration Programme (PATRIP) Foundation has built healthcare facilities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, which also serve Afghan border communities. Cross-border trade markets in the Torkham and Wesh–Chaman crossing points offer border communities economic opportunities and possibilities to engage in trade and business. Youth exchanges through universities and youth centers are also a proven tool to increase contacts and cross-border cooperation and integration between the two countries.
PBF Vice Chairperson, Sana Durrani said agriculture also plays a dominant role in border communities; as legal trade would create greater space for legal activities and hence would reduce border security risks. Without trade, countries lose gains from trade whether static or dynamic in terms of better prices, quality, and innovation, etc. In the aftermath of trade, with an increase in the size of markets, the benefits of the economies of scale are realized that not only do they reduce prices of traded goods but also provide a bigger variety of choices to consumers. Sana Durrani also said Products that are not produced on one side of the border can be exchanged in the border markets with products produced on the other side of the border.
Member National Assembly of Pakistan and former Federal Minister for Defence Production Zubaida Jalal who has been part of PBF Executive Committee for Balochistan said Balochistan is neglected if we talk about the facilities regarding trade and industry. Provincial Government must realize if they strengthen the trade and industry of the province they also get better revenue from them in the form of taxes. We shouldn’t rely always on Islamabad. We have to generate our own revenues too. In this regard PBF will forward due recommendations to the Chief Minister Balochistan.
She also invited industrialists of Karachi and Punjab to start export oriented business ventures in Balochistan particularly the Gawadar to explore untapped potential of the province. Provincial government will facilitate you accordingly.
It may recall here PBF Balochistan chapter executive committee has been constituted for the period of two years (2022-24). Provincial Chairman Engr Daroo Khan Achakzai, Zubaida Jalal, Sana Durrani, Bashir Agha, Waliullah Khan Kaasi, Nagman Abdul (President Gawadar Chamber of Commerce), Qaseem Zarghoon, Sahibzada Muhammad Khan, Deedar Mengal, President Rotary Club Haji Hameed Ullah and Shah Wali from Quetta Chamber of Commerce are part of the EC.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022