PESHAWAR: Despite the opening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border for trade, on Tuesday, only 150 export vehicles entered Afghanistan from Pakistan while only 50 import vehicles entered Pakistan from Afghanistan.
The Interior Ministry earlier on Tuesday had issued a notification ordering the opening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border points at Torkham, Chaman and Ghulam Khan for six days a week.
According to the notification, an unlimited number of import and export vehicles are allowed to enter and exit the countries from both sides while ensuring that all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and protocols related to Covid-19 are followed.
However, according to sources, despite the federal government’s permission, only 150 export vehicles and 50 import vehicles were cleared on the first day due to lack of staff and other facilities at the border points.
Sources added that, if such facilities are made available, the volume of trade at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border points can go up to as high as 500 vehicles per day.
Importers and exporters have expressed their reservation on the situation pointing out that such delays negatively affect the quality of the goods being traded. They have urged the government to ensure adequate staff and other facilities to aid speedy clearance of trade vehicles at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
“Local traders have lost billions of rupees in the last three months due to border restrictions with Afghanistan. Traders should be allowed to export and import goods without restrictions. The main problem being faced by traders is that their trade vehicles aren’t being cleared on time due to lack of scanners, computers and staff at the border which reduces Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan,” said Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) Director Zahid Shinwari.
Zahid Shinwari said that opening the border for bilateral trade can help replace Iranian products in Afghanistan with Pakistani products. He added that the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) agreement that was signed in 2010 and expired in 2015, is still in place and no efforts have been made to renegotiate it.
“The government should first negotiate the agreement and make border management more effective so that the movement of vehicles across the border remains unlimited,” Shinwari said.
Shinwari further stressed on the importance of a free trade agreement with Afghanistan saying that Pakistan currently has a 90 per cent share in exports to Afghanistan while importing just 10 per cent of Afghanistan’s exports.
The Afghan Consul General Najibullah Ahmadzai also called on Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Industry and Trade Abdul Karim Khan to discuss and resolve issues faced by the traders at the border crossing points.
The Afghan consul general stressed on the need for providing facilities at crossings points and increasing trade volume and promoting business and trade activities between the two countries.
Karim Khan informed the Afghan diplomat that the provincial government is in contact with the federal government and other concerned officials to resolve issues at the border.
Karim Khan added that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Board of Investment and Trade has been designated as the focal point in this regard and after consultation with the stakeholders, issues pertaining to the border crossings will be taken up with the federal government.
