PESHAWAR: Director Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi has welcomed permission by the Custom Department for cross stuffing of Afghan and Uzbek cargo at Karachi Port. In a press statement issued here on Wednesday, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi said it is a welcome step that demand of businessmen dealing in Pak-Afghan trade has been met. A notification regarding allowing cross-stuffing was issued by the Directorate General of Transit Trade a couple of days earlier. Zia Sarhadi said due to restriction on cross stuffing, the businessmen were facing extra charges due to delay in return of containers to shipping companies. Our Correspondent
The containers carrying goods took several days to Afghanistan and returned back to Karachi port, inflicting huge fines on importers under the head of detention charges.
With allowing of cross stuffing, the containers will be offloaded at Karachi and goods be transferred to trucks for onward transportation to Afghanistan.
Director PAJCCI also demanded that GD (Goods Documentation) be filed at Aza Khel dry Port in Nowshera district.
This decision will not only reduce burden on Karachi port, but would help in making Aza Khel dry port operational besides creating employment opportunities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by providing livelihood to more than 270 custom clearing agents who are nowadays sitting idle due to lack of work.
Zia said Aza Khel dry port was constructed at a cost of Rs. 50 million by Pakistan Railways a few years earlier but has never been operational due to lack of activities in regard with Afghan transit goods.
He said the cross stuffing facility should also be allowed at Aza Khel Dry Port in Nowshera and cargoes in bulk quantities like sugar, wheat, urea be transported in railway wagons which will help in reducing transportation cost for businessmen besides generating revenue for Railways.
