ISLAMABAD   -  The ministry of commerce has started consultation with stakeholders on proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan preferential trade agreement (PTA), which is likely to be finalised in next few month. 

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood yesterday chaired the first consultative session with the stakeholders on proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan PTA at the ministry of commerce. “Valuable inputs were provided by various stakeholders. This will now be followed by sector-specific meetings so that Pakistan’s Request List for the PTA can be finalised for discussion with Afghanistan which is expected to take place at around middle of next month,” said Razak Dawood after the consultation meeting on Twitter. 

He requested all exporters to send their proposals to the ministry of commerce at the earliest. “Bilateral trade with Afghanistan has to be placed on a sustainable growth path,” he concluded. Pakistan and Afghanistan had recently agreed to finalize the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) and the PTA by the end of Jan 2021. In last week, the commerce adviser said that following PM’s visit to Kabul, the ministry of commerce would begin engagement with all the stakeholders on the items to be placed in the proposed Pakistan-Afghanistan PTA, starting next week. “We are looking at engineering, pharma, cement, building materials, fruit & vegetables, etc,” he added.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood had recently visited Afghanistan and was also part of the Pakistan’s delegation headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan that visited Kabul last week. Razak Dawood had held an extensive round of discussions with the concerned officials and one-on-one meeting with the President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani. Both the sides had reached on many understandings on several issues relating to trade & transportation.

Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment led an official delegation to Afghanistan from 16-17 November 2020, for discussions on bilateral trade, Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) and investment-related matters between the two countries. The 7th meeting of the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Cooperation Authority (APTTCA) was held in Kabul after a break of more than four years. During the official talks, extensive and fruitful deliberations were held on the whole spectrum of bilateral trade and investment relations including formalising of the informal cross-border trade.

The adviser had hoped that the visit would mark the beginning of a new era of trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. This would lead to integration of the two economies and move the bilateral trade to a more formal and documented arrangement. This deepening of trade and investment relations between the two countries would also enhance trade Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan and beyond, to the Central Asian Countries.

APP adds from Sialkot: Ambassador of Yemen in Pakistan Muhammad Motahar Alashabi has said that Yemen and Pakistan has long lasting brotherly relations and bilateral trade and business relations should be further promoted with the exchange of trade delegations.

He stated this while addressing a meeting of the exporters held here on Thursday. Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Qaisar Iqbal Baryar, SCCI’s SVP Khurram Aslam Butt and Vice President Sheikh Ansar Azizpuri were also present.

He vowed to make all out sincere efforts to boost mutual trade ties between Yemen Pakistan, saying that the time was ripe to further strengthen the mutual trade ties. He assured of all possible assistance in this behalf and said that businessmen would be facilitated.

He also stressed the need for promotion of people to people contacts between the businessmen of the both countries.

e also showed keen interest in SCCI’s documentary “Sialkot, the City of Progressive People” which was screened during the meeting. On this occasion,SCCI President Qaisar Iqbal Baryar said that there was a huge potential to increase the volume of trade, adding that Sialkot was an important economic hub and totally export-oriented city of the country. He said :” We produce sports goods, surgical instruments, leather products, and gloves of all sorts, textiles items, sportswear, martial arts uniforms & accessories, musical instruments, kitchen ware & table ware, hollow ware, hunting knives, table cutlery/flatware, and other items.” 

Later, Ambassador of Yemen Motahar Alashabi also visited Surgical Instruments Manufacturers Association of Pakistan (SIMAP). He discussed the matters of mutual interest with manufacturers and exporters. Earlier, he visited several leading industrial units during his visit. He witnessed craftsmanship of artisans and also showed keen interest in the production of spots goods and surgical instruments.