Peshawar  -   A delegation of businessmen recently met with the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Malik Amjad Zubair Tawana, at Custom House Peshawar. During the consultation, they urged effective measures against smuggling instead of imposing restrictions on Pak-Afghan trade.

The delegation, jointly led by Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PA JCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, and President Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, emphasized this in a press statement issued on Saturday.

Present at the meeting were notable figures including Chief Collector Customs KP, Saeed Akram, and Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue Peshawar, Zafar Iqbal Khan. The delegation highlighted that trade with Afghanistan opens access to markets of Central Asian Republics (CARs), and imposing a ban on this route could be detrimental to the country’s economy in the longer run. 

Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, also President of Frontier Custom Clearing Agents Association, emphasized that the bone of contention in Pak-Afghan trade is smuggling, which can be effectively stopped through increased monitoring and vigilance at border points. He criticized the imposition of a ban on trade to curb smuggling, stating it hinders regional commerce and trade expansion.

Sarhadi recalled a similar decision taken 18 years earlier, resulting in a loss of around Rs. Three billion annually to Pakistan Railways.

The Chairman FBR, Malik Amjad Zubair Tawana, assured the delegation of measures being taken for the ease of doing business. He emphasized the government’s commitment to stabilizing the economy and promoting commerce and trade, urging collective efforts to overcome economic challenges.