SCCI demands 24/7 opening Torkham, Chaman borders

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has demanded the government to keep open the border round the clock in order to unhurt Pak-Afghan transit and bilateral trade besides.

In a statement, SCCI senior vice president, Shahid Hussain, Vice president Abdul Jalil Jan, traders and exporters demanded “complete opening of the Pak-Afghan border” so that trade activities in the province could be boosted up.

SCCI chief said Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan was on a constant decline with most of the volume being shifted to Iran and India.

Therefore, he stressed the need for opening of both Torkham and Chaman border for 24/7 to give boost to Afghan transit trade and mutual trade, besides to ease difficulties of the business community.

Shahid Hussain said in the statement that trucks, containers loaded with perishable items, like vegetable and fruits were parked at Landi Kotal and Takhta Baig due to which items worth millions of rupees were in danger of going to waste.

He condemned large number of Afghan transit trade goods containers being held on pretext of passing them through scanning process at Karachi port.

“Nearly 7,000 Afghan transit goods containers were being held for scanning process at Karachi port, while the traders and exporters are charged of detention charges under prevailing situation which is unjust,” read the statement.

SCCI urged the government to bring easiness in clearance process in order to ease their difficulties and unhurt Pak-Afghan transit trade business and mutual trade between two countries.