KARACHI - Chairman of Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) has acknowledged the momentum in the Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship subsequent to visit of prime minister of Pakistan to Afghanistan followed by meetings between finance ministers and foreign ministers of both the countries, which were aimed at improving the economic and political relations between both the countries.

In order to further strengthen the ties, both the sides also agreed that effective and full implementation of Afghanistan Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Security (APAPPS) would contribute towards the common objectives of eliminating terrorism and achieving peace, stability, prosperity and development of the people of the two countries.

As a part of APAPPS working groups, one significant group is pertinent to economics that aims to address trade and transit related issues. PAJCCI believes that this initiative is a dire need, but feels that without the inclusion of private stakeholders across the border and specifically joint chamber, which is a unanimous voice for the concerns of both the sides, the thorough preview could not be incorporated well.

Motiwala establishes that in order to ensure appropriate strategizing it is vital to include PAJCCI in the economic working group, as under the aegis of PAJCCI’s manifesto of “Segregating Economic Aspirations from Political and Security Imperatives”, it has undertaken several activities during the first quarter of 2018 that reflected the stakeholders’ feedback across the border. The main emphasis was to nurture the environment of trust and facilitate initiation of table talks between the two countries for peace and economic prosperity across the border. The initiatives have recently facilitated breaking the ice and a high ranking government delegation visited Islamabad, led by Deputy Minister for Commerce Ms Kamila Sidiqi, including PAJCCI’s co-chairman, Khan Jan Alokozai, to represent the concerns of private stakeholders.

During their stay, the delegation met Khurram Dastagir, minister for defense and minister for foreign affairs, M Pervaiz Malik, minister of commerce, Zaid Mahmood, chairman FBR, M Yonass Dagha, secretary commerce, Fazal Abbas Maken, secretary for Ministry of National Food Security. Chairman PAJCCI also facilitated their meeting with Nasir Khan Janjua, National Security Adviser of Pakistan, to help strengthen the endeavor of resolving the issues at the earliest.

Moreover, PAJCCI during the first quarter of 2018, met all relevant stakeholders across the border and compiled the vast dimension of bilateral and transit issues along with proposed resolutions and developed a comprehensive policy advocacy document that was shared with the delegation and all relevant ministries across the border.

It is believed that this report can act as a fundamental support in incorporating strategic insight into economic deliberations pertinent to both the sides and will facilitate the solution of major issues hampering the historical ties between the two brotherly nations.

Motiwala elaborated that Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber (PAJCCI), since its inception, has been making all relevant endeavors to improve and stabilize confidence building measures between the two countries and ensuring that business communities across the border attain mutual benefits in terms of trade, transit, security, peace and prosperity. Keeping the economic imbalance and deteriorating business situation between the countries, activation of such economic working group under APAPPS, would be of significant importance. He believed that it is a matter of great magnitude hence including private stakeholders in the same working group would help transpire the desired results effectively.

As PAJCCI is also a representative body of private stakeholders both at APTTCA and JEC hence PAJCCI’s inclusion in this forum would also facilitate economic deliberations and representation of mutual issues immensely.