February 19, 2002	Tuesday	Zilhaj 6, 1422

PESHAWAR, Feb 18: To have a bigger share in the multi-billion dollar reconstruction process and exploit trade and business opportunities in Afghanistan, Pakistan would need to normalize working relationship with the interim Afghan set-up especially Afghan factions at odds with Islamabad, business circles believed while talking to Dawn here on Monday.

“Islamabad needs to apply political and diplomatic means to pacify the anti-Pakistan elements within the Afghan interim set-up led by Hamid Karzai,” said a local industrialist who has been president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

Trade and business circles of Peshawar, involved in business with Afghan counterparts, believed that Pakistani products stood greater chances in Afghanistan provided Islamabad moved in the right direction to pacify the elements within the new Afghan set-up having been at odds with it due to the country’s unrelenting support to the Taliban.

Unless Islamabad managed to restore its image within the anti- Pakistani Afghan forces, especially the Northern Alliance, there appeared to be little chances for the Pakistani business community to claim substantial portion in the Afghan markets, maintained a business expert.

“Access to Afghan markets would not be so much easy in future as it was used to be for the Pakistani products and businessmen when Taliban was in power,” said a manufacturer.

Traders and exporters from Pakistan would now need to get visa and have other proper travelling documents before undertaking a business trip to Afghanistan apparently making their job a bit difficult in comparison with the Taliban rule when Pakistanis did not need to satisfy such procedural requirements.

“You need to have a person [envoy] in Kabul who enjoys greater acceptability and credibility among the major factions controlling Afghanistan,” said another manufacturer.

As far as the Pakistani products — especially the consumer items — were concerned, said the market forces, they enjoyed greater acceptability among Afghans for large number of them had been using these items in Pakistan for the last two decades during their stay as refugees in NWFP and other parts of the country.

“But it is the government to government relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan which is, apparently, causing a shadow of uncertainty among the trade and business circles of Peshawar as far business prospects in Afghanistan for the Pakistani businessmen are concerned,” said an exporter.