GWADAR: A delegation of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), led by Mir Naveed Jan, met the Deputy Governor of Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, Ali Asghar Mir Shikari, and other members of his team and discussed border trade between the two countries.

The Iranian team, led by the Deputy Governor of Sistan-Baluchistan province of Iran, is on a visit to Pakistan. During the visit, the Iranian officials attended a three-day Pak-Iran Joint Border Commission meeting here.

Talking to members of the GCCI delegation, the Deputy Governor of Sistan-Balo­ch­istan province of Iran said that his country wanted to increase the current bilateral trade volume from $1 billion to $5bn.

“In order to boost Iran-Pakistan trade activities, the people of the two brotherly countries will have to play their role and that is essential for the economic prosperity of the entire region,” Mr Shikari said.

“Undoubtedly problems are there, but through consensus we can resolve these problems to help the people of the two countries,” he said.

He said that during Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s visit to Pakistan, it had been agreed to increase the trade volume from $1bn to $5bn and in order to achieve that objective, both sides are now taking steps at the border points to provide maximum trade facilities to businessmen of the two countries,” the Iranian official said.

He also assured Pakistani businessmen that they would be given visas and special cards soon.

He said that talks between the two countries were also under way to open Remdan 250 and Mand border points to step up trade activities.

Mr Shikari said he would also try to resolve the issue of Rahdari for businessmen willing to visit Chahbahar seaport of Iran.

He invited Pakistani businessmen to visit Iran and assured them that the problems they were facing in export and import of goods to and from Iran would be resolved on a priority basis.

While accepting the invitation of Mr Shikari to participate in the trade exhibition being held in Mashhad and Tehran, GCCI leader Mir Naveed Jan said that a 45-member delegation would visit Iran soon to participate in the exhibition.

Other members of the GCCI delegation which met Iranian officials include Shams-ul-Haq Kalamti, Haji Karim Dad Dashti, Haji Abdul Ghaffar, Rasool Bakhsh, Ghulam Haider Dashti, Abu-Bakar Dashti, Dur Mohammad Nigori, Sher Jan Nigori, Naguman Abdul, Ghulam Mohammad Nigori and Jam Khalid and others.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2017