QCCI challenges Chaman border closure in BHC

QUETTA:

The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) on Tuesday challenged the closure of Chaman border and non-rehabilitation of Badini and Taftan border points in Balochistan High Court.

Lawyer Sanaullah Ababaki filed a constitutional petition on behalf of Quetta Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The petition stated that due to the closure of Chaman border, trade activities, export and import and service-based industries are in a state of disarray, expressing fears that trading taking place on the Chaman border might be shifted to Torkham and Iran.

The business community has urged the court to summon all stakeholders in this regard and take their opinion over the decision of closing Pak-Afghan border at Chaman.

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"The prolonged closure of the Chaman border and non-rehabilitation of the Badini border has had a devastating effect on industry and trade, exports and imports and service-based industries, and has also affected a large number of people working on the border on a monthly basis," Advocate Ababki said while speaking to the media outside court

He added that people involved in trade and commerce are facing many challenges as their goods are stuck at the port, and even the face-to-face agreements with the neighboring country on the basis of advance payment are being terminated.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2020.