PESHAWAR  -  The Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) has commended the transporta­tion of fruits from Pakistan to Rus­sia via an ancient trade route.

Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Khyber Pa­khtunkhwa coordinator for PA­JCCI, expressed optimism about the shipment of citrus in 16 trucks operated by the Nation­al Logistics Cell (NLC) from Pa­kistan to Russia. He described it as a positive development for the country’s business community, potentially opening up new ave­nues for trade and commerce in the region.

In a statement, Sarhadi empha­sised the significant potential of this trade route. He said that if properly utilised, it could greatly benefit Pakistan economically and create numerous job opportuni­ties in the region.

Sarhadi disclosed that the 16 NLC trucks transported citrus fruits from Sargodha district in Punjab to Russia, traversing three different countries over a distance of approximately 6000 kilometres.

He advocated for the continu­ation of such initiatives and sug­gested expanding beyond fruits to include other commodities in trade with Russia, thereby facili­tating the country’s business com­munity.

Sarhadi highlighted the re­cent decline in Pak-Afghan trade due to various obstacles, includ­ing visa requirements for truck drivers and assistants transport­ing goods. He urged the govern­ment to address these challeng­es and facilitate trade expansion not only with Afghanistan but also with Central Asian Republics (CARs) and Russia.

He viewed the recent fruit ship­ment to Russia as evidence of the potential in the market, stress­ing the importance of streamlin­ing business procedures to attract traders.

Sarhadi proposed issuing spe­cial passes to truck drivers af­ter security clearance to facili­tate trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, citing the cumber­some process of obtaining visas and renewals.