RAWALPINDI: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor must be made a ‘smuggling-free corridor’ and must not fall to illegal imports and under-invoicing as observed under the Afghan Transit Trade route, Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) President Raja Amer Iqbal said on Thursday.

He was speaking at a conference on the CPEC project organised by the RCCI. The event had representation from chambers of commerce from all over the country as well as traders community.

“We demand a strong security system to monitor exchange of goods via the CPEC route. We want CPEC to be smuggling free,” he emphasised.

“We urge the government to focus on the fourth part of the CPEC plan which is the Industrial Zones Development,” he said.

However, the agreements must follow the law of the land and benefit Pakistani traders, investors, and industrialists, he stressed.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2017