Made in Pakistan: Protesters fail to disrupt Kabul trade show

Exhibition was thronged by Afghans who prefer cheaper Pakistani products

ISLAMABAD: Scores of youth gathered outside a hotel in Kabul on Friday to protest a trade exhibition of Pakistani products, but they failed to disrupt the event with a large number of people thronging stalls.

The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Pakistan Embassy and Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry had organised the fourth “Made in Pakistan Exhibition” in Kabul, a three day event that will end today (Saturday)



A large number of people visited the exhibition on the first day on Thursday. Visitors said Pakistani products are cheaper for Afghans because Pakistani rupee is devalued against their currency, the ‘Afghani.’  The exchange rate on Friday was Rs1,000  for 654.66 ‘Afghani’.

But as visitors and delegates assembled for the opening session of exhibition, a group of young men gathered outside the hotel to stage a protest. They held aloft banners calling for “boycott of Pakistani products.”

The opening session, however, was held as per schedule with Afghan Deputy Minister for Commerce Muzammil Shinwari and Co-Chairman of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber Khan Jan Alokozay attending.



Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Syed Abrar Hussain said Pakistan was the largest and most important trading partner of Afghanistan, adding that Islamabad was making efforts to enhance the bilateral trade volume from the existing $2 billion to $5 billion.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2016.