The chairman of the Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry says "if both official and unofficial trade is calculated between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Afghanistan could rank third in the list of Pakistan's trade partners, which is estimated to be up to $5 billion."
The comment by Chairman Muhammad Zubair Motiwala came on Monday as he addressed a conference jointly arranged by the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade in Lahore meant to discuss the prospect of increasing and improving the trade in collaboration with the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Afghan Ambassador Syed Abrar Hussain and Nestlé Pakistan Chairman Syed Yawar Ali also attended the conference. The chief guest was Provincial Industries Minister Chaudhry Mohammad Shafique. In his address, Chairman Zubair said both countries had a total of 20 joint business ventures and there was need for Pakistani exports of automobiles, electronics, furniture, pharmaceutical goods and warm clothing to Afghanistan.
"Similarly, Afghanistan can export cement, sugar, iron and agriculture goods to Pakistan," he added. He also suggested that to enhance the trade, Pakistan should set up trading zones, free-trade areas and offer tax incentives to various businessmen, with revamping Pakistan's visa system for business community.
Speaking with the media, board Chief Executive Officer Amna Cheema stressed the importance of the trade, saying, "This conference is a step in the right direction towards better relations with our neighbour." The board's Projects and Policy Research Director, Khurram Afzal Malik, then gave a presentation about the socio-economic climate of the Punjab, which included various metrics and statistics concerning the province.