PESHAWAR-President of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Muhammad Ishaq on Thursday underlined the importance of signing free trade agreement to further strengthening bilateral economic and trade relations between Pakistan and Iran.
“Islamabad and Tehran should take pragmatic steps to rationalize tariff regime to improve the current mutual trade volume between the two brotherly Islamic countries,” SCCI chief stressed while talking to Hamid Reza Ghomi, Iranian Consul General in Peshawar, during a meeting here at the chamber’s house. The meeting was attended by the chamber’s senior vice president Shahid Hussain, vice president Ejaz Khan Afridi, First consul/Commercial Attaché Iranian Consulate Peshawar Hossein Maliki, and other relevant officials of the Iranian consulate Peshawar.
Muhammad Ishaq said there are vast opportunities to enhance mutual economic cooperation between Pakistan and Iran and in order to take benefits from these trade avenues, the SCCI chief stressed to bring the business communities of both the country closer through holding joint trade expos, business to business meetings, promotion of barter trade and easy access to manufacturing products of the both countries in local markets.
Hamid Reza Ghomi congratulated the newly cabinet of SCCI, saying that his country is taking serious steps to further strengthen economic and trade relations with Pakistan, and holding a business meeting/program in Karachi and Lahore is a part of these efforts. The diplomat disclosed that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be soon signed between Mashhad Chamber and SCCI to enhance mutual trade relations between the two brotherly Islamic countries. Iran has finalized a free trade policy for Pakistan, which would be implemented very shortly, Ghomi revealed, adding that Iran-Pak bilateral relations would be further boosted up in an effluent manner under the policy.
During the meeting, the SCCI senior office bearers presented various proposals for enhancing Pak-Iran bilateral trade on which the Iranian diplomat fully agreed and highly welcomed the recommendations, policy, plan and practical steps of the chamber for mutual trade promotion. Muhammad Ishaq said improvement in Pak-Iran bilateral trade is included in his plan, under which a joint Pak-Iran trade exhibition would be held in Peshawar. The SCCI chief said Pakistan has given much importance to enhance trade with Iran. He called for signing a free trade agreement between the two brotherly Islamic countries.