LANDIKOTAL: Following several rounds of talks, a breakthrough was achieved toward restoring closed trade routes between Pakistan and Afghanistan as representatives of both countries’ business communities agreed on a joint strategy on Sunday to revive cross-border trade, officials said.
Traders said that to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted trade activities between Pakistan and Afghanistan a joint 12-member committee would hold a meeting at Torkham on January 6.
The development came during a Zoom meeting between senior trade leaders of Pakistan and Afghanistan, wherein discussions were held on promoting bilateral trade, easing border tensions and ensuring the early reopening of key Pak-Afghan commercial crossings.
Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Muhammad Yousaf Afridi, Quetta chamber president Ayub Mariani, Waziristan chamber president Qadeerullah Wazir, Kurram small chamber group leader Syed Ali Hamad, tobacco growers association head Muhammad Haroon Sabir, former president of Torkham customs clearing agents association Zaheerullah Shinwari, Mansehra chamber president Mumtaz Shah, Malakand chamber president Inam Jan and others attended the meeting.
The meeting was jointly chaired from Pakistan by president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Atif Ikram Sheikh and Patron-in-Chief Syed Muhammad Tanveer, while patron of the Afghanistan chamber of commerce and industry Syed Karim Hashmi led the Afghan side.
Participants agreed to form a 12-member joint committee comprising six representatives from each country to address trade-related challenges and work toward the immediate reopening of border trade routes.
It was also decided that the committee’s first formal meeting would be held on January 6 at the Torkham border, where final decisions regarding the reopening of crossings was expected.From Pakistan, senior FPCCI leader and chairman of the Pakistan borders trade council, Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, was nominated to lead the joint committee.
Speaking on the occasion, he expressed optimism that the January 6 meeting would bring positive news for traders and the general public of both countries, adding that a formal announcement regarding the reopening of trade routes was likely on the same day.
FPCCI president Atif Ikram Sheikh said that the joint committee would meet on a monthly basis, with future sessions planned in Kabul, Islamabad and other major cities.He emphasized that the committee would play its role in resolving issues related to bilateral and transit trade and removing practical hurdles faced by the business community.
He stated that traders from Pakistan and Afghanistan had historically acted as a bridge between the two nations and that even under current circumstances. He said Pakistan’s trade leadership had been granted full authority by the government to pursue dialogue and consultation for sustainable solutions.
