PESHAWAR: Pakistan Gems and Minerals Traders Association has demanded of the government to bring the Afghan traders into the tax net on pattern of the local business community and impose restrictions on export of precious stones by Afghans to India.

Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, the association’s president Abdul Jalil said the business community in Pakistan was suffering due to weak economic policies but the Afghan traders were freely exporting precious stones to India as Indian visa was easily available.

He said the business community was paying many kinds of taxes but the government was yet to bring the Afghan traders into tax net, and as a result, Pakistan’s foreign exchange and national economy was suffering.

The Afghan traders, he pointed out were exporting different items, particularly gems and minerals, but they were not paying any kind of taxes to Pakistani authorities. Many Afghans, he said had shifted their assets to Afghanistan but were using Pakistani soil for making money without any restrictions on them.

Mr Jalil suggested that the government collect data about the foreigners dealing in different businesses in Pakistan so they could be brought into the tax net.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2019