PR No. 148
SHEHZAD ARBAB VISITS TORKHAM BORDER TO RESOLVE ISSUE OF STUCK UP CONTAINERS SAPM ON ESTABLISHMENT MEETS CM KP ON THE ISSUE OF CONTAINERS
Islamabad: July 21, 2020


Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Establishment, Mr. Mohammad Shehzad Arbab visited Torkham border to resolve the issue of stuck up containers at Peshawar and Torkham. He was accompanied by PM's Special Representative for Afghanistan Affairs, Mr. Muhammad Sadiq and senior officers of Ministries of Commerce, Foreign Affairs, Interior, FBR, IG FC and DG NLC. During the meeting, Mr. Arbab was briefed on the issue of stuck up containers in detail and the arrangements at the border for the people to people contact and the ease of mutual trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was informed that, presently, around 3000 export and transit containers are stuck up in Peshwar whose clearance on priority basis is necessary to improve the bilateral trade relations. On the occasion, Mr. Arbab stated that improving the bilateral trade relations and people to people contact with brotherly Islamic country Afghanistan is the part of the vision of the incumbent government. Therefore, we shall take all the necessary measures to remove the hurdles in the smooth operations of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the detailed discussion, it was decided to increase the number of containers upto 800 per day to be cleared in order to decrease the backlog. Further, all stakeholders also agreed to increase the export volume to Afghanistan and to streamlining the trade processes. Earlier, SAPM on Establishment held meeting with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mr. Mahmood Khan in Peshawar to resolve issue of stuck up containers at Peshawar and Torkham. SAPM on Establishment, Mr. Mohammad Shehzad Arbab is the head of Task Force of the Executive Committee of Pak-Afghan Parliamentary Friendship Group (PFG). The said Task Force has the mandate to liberalizing border trade with Afghanistan and making the overly restrictive visa regime more facilitative for bilateral trade and people to people contact. Ms. Shandana Gulzar Khan, MNA, Secretary interior, Foreign Secretary, Secretary Health, Secretary Commerce, Chairman FBR, Cheif Secretary KP, Chief Secretary Balochistan and DG NLC are the members of the Task Force.
*-*-*-*

PREVIOUS NEXT