Pak-Afghan officials agree to enhance trade

F.P. Report
LANDI KOTAL: An important meeting of the border management committee was held here in a custom house, Torkham last day. Headed by Additional Collector Muhammad Tayyab, the moot was attended by the officials of National Logistic Cell, Federal Investigative Agency, Frontier Corp, Police, administrative official and representatives of trading unions.
The Afghan delegation led by border security in- charge Maulvi Khalid, represented their country in the meeting. The Pak officials demanded of their Afghan counterpart to abolish heavy duty on export of coil as the former eliminated duty on import of tomato and onion from Afghanistan.
The Afghan delegation assured that their demand will be convoyed to the Ministry of Trade, Afghanistan for consideration and efforts will be made to facilitate and ease coal export to Pakistan. In their demands, the Afghan officials asked Pak delegation to deploy extra- custom officials and expedite the fruits and vegetables clearing process at Torkham crossing as long queues of trucks across the border loaded with perishable items awaiting for days to cross that suffers the exporters.
Muhammad Tayyab promised that fresh fruits and vegetables will be cleared on priority basis. However, the Pak officials expressed reservation and said that some elements on pretext of Afghan fruits and vegetables, import perishable items of other countries and inflict loss to the national exchequer therefore, keeping Afghan custom certificate and GD have been made compulsory for the importers.
The Afghan delegation thanked the border management team for increasing the vehicles movement at the border from 500 trucks to 1200 trucks per day that will certainly have a positive effect on Pak-Afghan trade. With the collective efforts of Pak-Afghan border management system, a target of movement of 2000 trucks per day will be achieved in near future, Additional Collector said.
Officials of the both neighboring countries agreed to halt smuggling of prohibited items including fertilizer, sugar to Afghanistan and to discourage child labor at the border. The Pak delegation urged the Afghan officials to stop human trafficking from across the border as the former has provided facility to Afghan patients willing to come to Pakistan for treatment and not to the general Afghan masses.