SCCI demands round-the-clock opening of Afghan border

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has demanded round-the-clock opening of the Pak-Afghan border to save traders and exporters from financial losses.

The demand was made during a meeting of traders, exporters and importers here at the chamber on Tuesday. SCCI President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz chaired the meeting. The SCCI senior vice president, Shahid Hussain, vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, traders and exporters associated with Afghan transit trade were present there.

The participants demanded the complete opening of the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham and Chaman towns so that trade activities could increase. The SCCI chief said the Interior Ministry had issued notification to keep the Afghan border open at Torkham and Chaman borders for five days a week for export only (both for Afghan transit trade and bilateral trade). He said according to the order, a minimum of 100 trucks each would be allowed from Torkham and Chaman borders per day.

Maqsood said this limited movement would not only hurt the traders’ income but also cause heavy losses to the exchequer.

The SCCI chief observed that the Pakistan trade with Afghanistan was on a constant decline with most of the volume being shifted to Iran and India. He stressed the need for opening of the border at Torkham and Chaman 24/7 to give a boost to the Afghan transit trade and mutual trade besides easing the difficulties of the business community.

Maqsood Anwar said trucks and containers loaded with perishable items, like vegetable and fruits were parked at Landikotal and Takhta Baig due to which the food items worth millions of rupees were at the risk of going rotten.

He pointed out that a large number of Afghan transit trade goods containers had been held at the Karachi Port on the pretext of scanning.

The SCCI chief informed the meeting that nearly 7,000 Afghan transit goods containers had been stopped at the Karachi Port for undergoing scanning while the traders and exporters were being charged detention charges.

Maqsood Anwar urged the government to ease the clearance process to put an end to the business difficulties and improve Pak-Afghan transit trade and trade between the two brotherly countries.