ISLAMABAD: Despite the request by Pakistani embassy in China for extending the date of annual closure of border at Khunjrab, Chinese authorities have refused to consider the request causing huge losses to Pakistani importers.
As Pak-China border closes on November 30 every year to reopen on April 1 due to harsh weather, Chinese authorities have reportedly turned down a request by Pakistani embassy to facilitate the importers for lifting the already purchased goods stock at the border on the Chinese side. “Though the Chinese transporters usually cross the border till November 30, and their return to China continues till the end of December, but Chinese immigration, this year, has asked its transporters to strictly end the trade handling by midnight of the last day, November 30. Since all Chinese cargo vehicles needed to be inside Chine by the given date, the transporters have refused to lift the import goods even 15 days before the due date to ensure their presence on Chinese side before November 30,” an importer told Pakistan Today.
“The unexpected direction from Chinese immigration is going to cause us huge losses this year. Unfortunately, only Chinese cargo vehicles are allowed to cross the border for import and export and Pakistani importers depend on the availability of Chinese transports for import,” he said adding that even for exports Pakistani exporters need to hire Chinese vehicles at the border.
“Since Pakistani cargo vehicles are not allowed to cross the border, we are helpless. We, through our embassy, can only request the Chinese authorities for resolution of such issues. Amidst the monopoly of Chinese transporters, we are also forced to pay a higher fare for the cargo handling at the Sust Dry Port,” he added.
Earlier on November 17, Pakistani embassy in China had requested Chinese authorities to keep the border opened till December 15 to avoid the huge losses to traders. The embassy through its letter No1- P/6/18/17 said the urgent arrangement was needed to ensure smooth flow of stranded import cargo on Karakoram Highway (KKH) between Pakistan and China.
According to importers of Chinese goods, the closure of border at Sust Dry Port was to cause loss of over Rs 1 billion to them as they would not be able to lift the already purchased goods in Kashgar. At the same time, a large quantity of dry fruits and perishable items being exported to China via the land route were also stranded at Khunjerab Pass in Pakistani side, for not the availability of cargo vehicles/containers.
Traders expressed fear that if the stranded cargo could not be delivered from Kashgar city in the Xinjiang to Pakistan and stranded cargo from Sust Pakistan to China before 30 November, the border would close for next four months, and traders would face billions of rupees loss.
The stranded goods on both sides include fresh fruits, dry fruits, edible items, machinery for CPEC projects, electronics and garments etc.
