PESHAWAR: The business community of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has expressed grave concerns over a large number of Afghan transit trade containers being held at Karachi port, urging the government to facilitate the clearance process in order to extend mutual trade between the two countries. The issue was discussed during a meeting of traders and exporters involved in Afghan transit trade on Saturday with Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz in the chair. SCCI Senior Vice President Shahid Hussain, Vice President Abdul Jalil Jan and former senior vice president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi were also present on the occasion. The meeting was informed that nearly 7,000 Afghan transit goods’ containers were being held for “scanning process” at the Karachi port, and that the traders and exporters were being charged “detention charges”, which was completely unjust and unfair. Similarly, the participants informed the shipping companies were also charging additional demurrage in shape of “rent” from traders and exporters.

Source: Pakistan Today May 02, 2020 17:26 UTC