September 11, 2002	Wednesday	Rajab 3, 1423

QUETTA, Sept 10: The Afghan reconstruction is yet to take off. Reason: the world community did not fulfil its promises, pledges in terms of billions of dollars even almost an year after devastating US air strikes on Afghanistan. And with it, the hopes for Pakistan to enjoy share in its reconstruction also dashed.

The international community has not even sent its experts for making on the spot assessment about the future needs of the country.

The officials and economists here predict higher level of economic activities once the world community resumes reconstruction work in Afghanistan. But the situation on the ground is quite different.

Most of the Afghans, financed and helped by the UNHCR and other international agencies to go back to their home country and join the economic reconstruction are returning to Balochistan in greater numbers as they are totally disgusted over the economic and political developments there.

The Quetta markets flooded with the goods from the Afghan transit trade facility are not finding enough buyers in recent days.

Sardar Shoukat Aziz Khan Popalzai, President, Balochistan Economic Forum, was of the view that development and reconstruction of any country was linked with stability and complete peace which could not be restored in Afghanistan. He said that despite hectic efforts made by Mr. Karzai with the help of allied forces the writ of the government could not be established beyond Kabul.

The President, Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Ataullah Khokar termed the internal situation, lawlessness, warlordism, political and economic instability responsible main hurdle to reconstruction of Afghanistan.

He said when safety of president Hamid Karzai is at risk what to speak about foreign investors and workers, he said.

Mr. Khokar said because of the government’s policy towards Afghanistan, Pakistan could not compete with Iran and India in the prices of various necessary goods. Pakistan’s cement could not get place for being more costly than Iranian. Same is the case in other items, due to which India and Iran succeeded in capturing the market in Afghanistan.