PESHAWAR: The business community has demanded of the federal government to launch cargo trainservice from Peshawar to Karachi and stop rechecking of vehicles loaded with export goods at the Karachi port.

Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Fazal Moqeem Khan made the demand during a meeting with Chief Collector Customs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Khawaja Khurram Naeem here on Wednesday.

The chamber chief, according to a statement, also demanded abolishment of SRO-121, allowing loose cargo, and pragmatic steps to make Azakhel dry port fully functional.

The SCCI chief called for review of customs duties/tariffs and immediate restoration of Pak-Afghan mutual trade through the Torkham border.

SCCI senior vice-president Abdul Jalil Jan, former presidents Haji Mohammad Asif, Fuad Ishaq, Zahidullah Shinwari, Haji Mohammad Afzal, former vice-president Malik Niaz Mohammad Awan, members of the chamber’s executive committee, customs clearing agents’ secretary general Muqtasid Ahsan and others were also present.

Moqeem briefed the chief collector about traders’ concerns over the closure of Torkham border for the last 21 days, bureaucratic hurdles in carrying out smooth trade, ban on dollar declaration and other problems.

The SCCI chief said the business community had faced hardships owing to prevailing circumstances. He urged the customs department and other relevant authorities to facilitate traders under one-window operation, because mutual trade, exports and national economy would only flourish by easing difficulties of the business community.

He said closure of Torkham border on petty issues was not only compounding miseries for traders but it also negatively impacted bilateral trade.

Chief collector customs Khurram Naeem said that the customs department was taking practical steps to carry out smooth cross-border trade and exports.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2025