“The situation has not improved significantly despite opening of round-the-clock operations at the Torkham border last September to boost bilateral and transit trade,” Frontier Custom Clearance President Ziaul Haq said on Sunday. According to Ziaul Haq, the trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan has adversely affected due to poor border management at both sides, leaving trade and transit volume reduced from $2.5 billion to mere $55 million. He said after ending the Indian subsidy for Afghanistan and CPEC projects, Pakistan would again become hub for Afghanistan. The 24-hour opening of Pak-Afghan border was part of a comprehensive plan under which Peshawar would become a major trading area for regional trade, the ambassador added. Experts believe if both countries address the issues of poor border management, extortion fees, strict security checking system and slow clearness of goods, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has a potential to increase up to $5billion.

Source: Pakistan Today February 02, 2020 19:34 UTC