ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s bilateral commerce with Afghanistan noticed a sudden rise because the Taliban took management of Kabul on Sunday.
A major improve was famous within the variety of cargo autos and pedestrian site visitors throughout the western border.
The amount of bilateral commerce had fallen to a really low degree within the second week of July when the Taliban captured the Afghan district of Spin Boldak close to the Chaman border in Balochistan.
Knowledge compiled by Pakistan’s customs, which administers and governs border customs stations, present that bilateral commerce with Afghanistan fell to a historic low on August 15 when solely 475 vans carrying items — exports, imports and transit items — crossed border at Torkham, Chaman, Kharlachi and Ghulam Khan.
On August 15, the Taliban took over Kabul and declared its rule over Afghanistan.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid at it’s first press convention on Tuesday mentioned that the Taliban will proceed buying and selling with neighboring nations. He mentioned steps might be taken to advertise commerce.
The motion of vans throughout the border reached 1,123 on Wednesday (August 17). “We are expecting that this number will further increase after Muharram,” a senior customs officer informed Daybreak.
He mentioned the development over the previous couple of days confirmed that the variety of cargo/vans crossing the border would improve additional subsequent week.
It’s reported that a number of pending points concerning facilitation of commerce are anticipated to be given precedence by the Taliban-led authorities in Afghanistan.
“We have held several meetings with Afghan authorities since November last year for resolving these issues,” the customs official mentioned, including that these points remained unresolved regardless of a number of remainders.
One of many causes for slowdown in cargo motion, in accordance with drivers of vans, was that Afghan police and transport ministry officers posted on the Afghan facet demanded from drivers between 10,000 and 25,000 Afghanis to let their vans return to Pakistan.
After the Taliban takeover, in accordance with customs, no such calls for have been reported.
Final week, throughout a gathering of the border liaison committee the commerce officer of Afghanistan consulate was knowledgeable that greater than 2,000 empty autos/containers had been caught on the Afghan facet.
Based on customs information, the variety of returning empty autos was 13 at Torkham customs stations and 68 at Chaman, whereas no automobile returned to Pakistan at Kharlachi and Ghulam Khan on August 15.
On August 17, 86 empty autos returned at Torkham and 16 at Chaman, whereas no automobile returned at Kharlachi and Ghulam Khan stations.
Printed in Daybreak, August 19th, 2021
