PESHAWAR: Business community has appreciated federal government for allowing trade with Afghanistan via Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi borders and expressed the hope that it would help to boost business activities in the region.

Mohammad Ishaq, the president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, director and coordinator of Pak-Afghan Joint Chambers of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), told journalists here on Sunday said apart from Torkham, permitting trade with Afghanistan through Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi routes would not only increase exports from the country but it would also create job opportunities and herald a new era of prosperity and development in the whole region.

They appreciated officials of relevant departments for taking the decision. They said that the officials had assured them of provision of all facilities for promotion of cross-border and transit trade.

Referring to closure of Torkham border for five days, Mohammad Ishaq and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi said that the break in trade adversely affected business activities and movement of the people between the two brotherly countries.

They said that keeping in view the difficulties of traders, Customs Chief Collector Mohammad Saleem allowed export of goods to Afghanistan Ghulam Khan and Kharlachi routes besides Torkham. They expressed the hope that the decision would play an important role in increasing export of goods to Afghanistan.

Mohammad Ishaq and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi extended their special gratitude to Customs Chief Collector Mohammad Saleem, Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Asim Ahmad, Member (Customs) FBR Mukaram Jah Ansari, officials of National Logistic Cell, local administration and other relevant departments for taking initiatives to facilitate cross-border trade.

The representatives of the business community expressed the hope that relevant departments would continue their efforts by utilising all available resources to promote bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

They also appreciated Peshawar Customs Collector Mohammad Ashfaq and other officials concerned for making efforts and taking initiatives to enhance trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. They said that opening of the trade routes would facilitate export of different goods to Central Asian Republics through Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2023