KHYBER
Trade worth of approximately nine million dollars has been affected in last six days as the Pak-Afghan sharing border; Torkham remained suspended for the sixth consecutive day for all kind of movement due to Afghanistan construction new post in the disputed area along the crossing, the custom official informed.
He added that border blockade restricted all trade activities including export import and pedestrian crossing at the border.
Mujib Shinwari, President All Torkham Clearing Agents Association said that $1.5 million to $2.5 million loss daily was in progress in the form of export.
In the same way in import 500 million rupees loss in revenue was inflicted to the national exchequer, he remarked.
Former President of Sarhad Chamber of commerce and Industry Zahid Shinwari said that it was ironic that more than 1.1 billion rupees loss daily to Pakistan was in progress in spite of the deteriorated economic condition of the country.
“Closing of the international border over petty dispute proves irresponsibility of the Pak-Afghan governments” he added and said enhancing bilateral trade was not the priority of the both of the neighbor countries.
He maintained that besides perishable items worth of million rupees were decayed; thousands of laborers, custom agents and local traders were left jobless.
Suspension of the border certainly affected industries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as ninety percent of local business depended on Pak-Afghan trade. He urged the Pak-Afghan governments to immediately address the issues that caused halt bilateral trade and boost the business in the best interest of the people as well as the countries.
