Qaiser wants irritants in Afghan trade removed

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has stressed the need for enhancing Pakistan and Afghanistan bilateral trade by removing the bottlenecks that would ensure a bright future for the next generation.

He made the observation while presiding over the fifth executive committee meeting of the Pakistan-Afghan Parliamentary Friendship Group on Monday. MNAs Shandana Gulzar, Moshin Dawar, Salahudin Ayubi, Yaqoob Sheikh, and SAPM on Establishment Shehzad Arbab attended the meeting. While officers from ministries of railway, commerce, foreign affairs, FBR, NLC, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments were also present.

He was of the view that the recent conference, which was organised by the NA for finding new avenues of trade and investment between the two countries, has been possible because of the consistent efforts of the committee.

“It was for the first time that 23 Afghan parliamentarians along with their traders and investors had visited Pakistan,” he said, adding that follow up to the implementation of the recommendations of the conference would be the top priority of the committee.

Reviewing progress of the previous recommendations, the NA speaker expressed his satisfaction with the pace of implementation by the body. He added that on the recommendation of the committee, the Torkham border is now open for seven days for pedestrians instead of four days.

Qaiser asked the PM’s aide on the establishment to visit the Chaman border along with committee members and Special Representative for Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq.

The speaker also decided to call the next meeting soon to further review the recommendation of the conference on trade and investment. He asked Adviser to the PM on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood to pursue negotiation on Afghanistan-Pakistan Preferential Trade Agreement at a fast pace.

During the meeting, Dawood briefed the committee regarding his visit to Afghanistan where issues related to the preferential trade agreement, free movement of trucks, customs issues, and signing of MoUs between both countries in this regard were deliberated upon.

“After due deliberation, the MoUs will be signed and resultantly the volume of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan will increase,” he said. DNA