QUETTA: The Pak-Iran Joint Border Trade Com­mittee at a meeting agreed to remove hurdles, increase bilateral legal trade and implement the barter agreement for achieving the target of trade between the two countries.

The Iranian delegation at the committee’s 10th meeting was led by Sistan-Balu­chestan’s Deputy Governor Dawood Shaharki while the Pakistani delegation was led by Customs Chief Collectors Abdul Qadir Memon.

Iranian Consul General Quetta Hasan Darwish, Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Haji Abdullah Achakzai, Senior Vice President Haji Agha Gul Khilji and other leading business leaders and senior officials of the relevant departments also attended the meeting.

Mr Shaharki said Iran was striving to achieve the set trade target with Pakistan and remove obstacles through cooperation.

“We are ready to open more border markets with Pakistan,” he said, adding there was a need to implement the agreement reached between the two countries in the 2010 meeting of the committee.

Customs Chief Collector Abdul Qadir Memon said it was important to achieve the goals set between the two countries and boost trade. He emphasised the need for cooperation for development and increasing trade.

Mr Achakzai said business people and industry leaders want direct flights between Quetta in Pakistan and Zahedan in Iran.

“We want free bilateral trade between both the countries based on equality,” he added.

He said there should be more concerted efforts to increase the quantum of business and trade between the two neighbouring countries through legal routes.He suggested establishing a separate gate at the Pak-Iran border at Taftan for the business community so that they do not face any difficulty in the transportation of their goods.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2023