SCCI calls for withdrawal of passport, visa condition on goods transporters

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has expressed concern over imposition of new condition, making mandatory a valid passport and visa for drivers, carrying Afghanistan bounded goods consignments via Torkham border, what it called as the condition couldn’t be proved detrimental for mutual trade between Pakistan-Afghanistan, which should be withdrawn immediately.

In a statement issued here on Friday, SCCI Senior Vice President Engineer Manzoor Elahi said that the interior minister had made necessary a valid passport for drivers and cleaners, transporting goods vehicles to Afghanistan via Torkham border from February 20 and issued instructions to border management in this regard.

He said the decision couldn’t be in the best interest of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the business community on both sides of the border, which asked to withdraw immediately.

SCCI SVP said that the bilateral trade volume between Pak-Afghan, which currently stood at less than one billion dollar, expressed fear that if the government couldn’t review its policies regarding trade with Afghanistan, the volume would further witness a plummeting trend.

Furthermore he maintained that the government policy isn’t favorable for trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, because the both countries business community consequently suffered from those unilateral decisions.

Mansoor Elahi reminded the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA) 2010, which is likely to be expired by February 11, 2021.

However, he said the progress on signing new ATTA agreement wasn’t appeared yet, while on the other hand, the FC stationed at Torkham border had issued instructions to customs authorities for disallowing driver and cleaners of goods transport to cross the border without having valid passport and visa after Feb 20, which is highly worrisome and unfavorable for bilateral and transit trade between the neighbouring countries.

The chamber senior office bearer expressed reservations that the consultation was not made before making ATTA 2010, which has brought negative impacts on bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Now, he added the decision to disallow goods transporters from crossing the border without having a valid passport and visa would further affect the trade between them, demanding for immediately its withdrawal while keeping in view best interests of both countries and business community.

He also asked the government to take relevant stakeholders on board before signing on a new ATTA between the two countries, so it would have long-lasting impacts on Pak-Afghan bilateral and transit trade.