Call for tri-transit countries agreement to solve Afghan traders’ problems

PESHAWAR: Expressing concern over deteriorating situation of trade and traders in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the US and establishment of Taliban government, the chairman of Pakistan Businessmen Unity in Tajikistan, Naeemur Rehman, has suggested the formation of Tri-Transit Countries Agreement to solve traders’ problems and promote businesses.

Talking to The News here on Saturday, he said the Tri-Transit Countries Agreement comprising Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan would overcome the prevailing uncertainty.

Similarly, he said, another transit agreement among Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan would benefit the people, currently facing various problems in Kabul.

All the previous governments in Afghanistan had been opposing such transit agreements during their respective tenures and they were insisting to include India in it, he added.

He said traders from Tajikistan and Uzbekistan could not utilise Karachi and Gwadar ports for their trade activities due to non-availability of any transit agreement. “The Tajikistan and Uzbekistan companies utilised Bandar Abbas port in Iran for transporting thousands of containers and after crossing a long distance,” he added.

Being the chairman of Pakistan Businessmen Unity, Tajikistan, Naeemur Rehman added, he had discussed this idea at all the relevant forums and delegations at the embassies and now they were hopeful that the pro-Pakistan rulers in Kabul would solve the problems of traders.

The people of Kabul, who had been enjoying various facilities during the last 20 years, are now facing a totally different situation after the withdrawal of the American forces, fall of Ashraf Ghani’s government and establishment of Taliban’s interim set-up.

All the professionals, experts and trained people in every field of life and from every department have mostly left the country while many others are planning to leave. He said the Taliban, who had fought for years in the battlefields, had no experience of technology and computer system in the government departments.

He said that presently people were waiting to see how the Taliban would rule and run affairs of the government.

According to an estimate, 1,90,000 people have left Afghanistan while another 1,50,000 are waiting to leave Kabul, expecting a better future in other countries, because the majority of the population are sure that the Taliban would face problems in running affairs of the government.

Naeemur Rehman, who provided medicines to hospitals, said that the surgeons, doctors, medical technicians, engineers, bankers and other professionals were among those who left the country. He observed that the peons and guards could not run affairs of the government departments. He said that while people were confused about how the Taliban would run the government affairs, still many believed that the Taliban had restored peace and the crime ratio had reduced.

Similarly, he said how the traders would run their business through banks, which lack professionals. He said the traders could not send money to other countries for their businesses. The finance ministry, he said, had recently issued a directive under which a trader could pull only $200 per week, which means an Afghan would get 20,000 Afghani once in a week.

He said the majority of the traders, who had businesses with Japan, Germany, Korea, etc, were worried as to how they could run businesses with the world in such a situation as businesses with foreign countries require TT, bank drafts, etc.

He said the staff in the hospitals would have problems in near future as the existing stuff including medical items for accidental operations, surgical tools, disposable items, anesthesia, etc would fall short and there was no proper arrangement to cope with any serious emergency.

Naeemur Rehman said the government of Pakistan should permit Afghan traders and provide them facilities so that they could send their money from Pakistani banks and continue businesses with foreign countries.

Similarly, he said, Pakistan should permit Afghan traders on visas, which would also be better for Pakistan’s economy. He said facilitating Afghan traders would reduce their problems and would also counter any hatred among Afghans regarding Pakistan.