Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Director, Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI) and Vice Chairman, All Pakistan Customs Agents Association, Chairman, Frontier Customs Agents Group, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has termed the verdict of the Accountability Court, Karachi for exonerating 450 alleged nominated accused in 57 references relating to Nato-ISAF Containers' Scandal is welcoming. In a statement issued here he said that verdict of the accountability court had given a sigh of relief to clearing, forwarding and border agents of Peshawar, Karachi and Chaman.
He said that 57 references were filed against the missing of the Nato-ISAF containers during the period from the year 2007 to 2010 and cases were filed against the clearing, forwarding and border agents of Peshawar, Karachi and Chaman. He said that the verdict of the accountability court will help restore the confidence of the business community and strengthen the stance of the customs clearing agents and Afghan government that containers' scandal was based on malafide intensions.
Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi said that the government of Afghanistan had officially clarified for several times that neither none of the container had gone missing nor clearing, forwarding nor border agents were involved in it. He termed the historic verdict of the accountability court a victory of the stance of clearing agents and said that the decision will be long way in the promotion of Afghan transit trade and bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
He said that over 70 percent goods coming through Afghan transit trade that were shifted to Bandar Abbas and Chahbahar ports will now return to Karachi port. The vice chairman, All Pakistan Customs Clearing Agents said that all clearing, forwarding and border agents are patriotic Pakistanis and will never support any such step, which could damage the national prestige.