KHYBER: The local traders have termed reciprocal visa relaxation to Pakistani and Afghan transporters for promotion of bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries as ‘too little and too late’.

They said that currently the facility would not provide substantial financial benefits to traders.

Reacting to the federal government’s recent agreement with Kabul about the grant of six months reciprocal visas to transporters to facilitate cross-border movement of goods, Zahidullah Shinwari, the former president of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that it was ‘wishful thinking’ on part of government that the relaxation could either expedite bilateral trade or could bring about positive changes in the existing trading relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Unfortunately successive governments failed to accept our demands in the recent past about bringing about prompt, timely and productive changes in the trading relations with Afghanistan,” he said.

Term agreement on visa relaxation to transporters ‘too little too late’

He said that their demands were met only when the appropriate time for taking such steps already passed and demand for prompt supply of Pakistani goods reduced considerably.

“Now when the present Taliban government in Afghanistan is faced with acute economic problems and their banking system has almost collapsed, appeasing transporters with six months visa facility could fetch us little financial gains,” said Mr Shinwari.

He said that development activities in Afghanistan were almost at a standstill while there was a serious shortage of funds and the urge for enhancing bilateral trade from the Afghan side had also diminished.

“We need to think big and act big if we are serious in multiplying our existing dwindling trade with Afghanistan,” he said. He added that both the neighbouring countries should facilitate traders by granting them quick visa facilities. He said that traders should be granted visas on their arrival at the border rather than subjecting them to three to four months of frustrated wait.

Sabir Khan, a clearing agent at Torkham, said that businessmen from both sides could accelerate the pace of trade and enhance its quantum rather than the transporters, who were acting only as carriers and not the actual trading party.

“Transport could only move when traders are active in business on both sides of the border,” said Mr Khan. He said that traders needed relaxation in grant of visas by both the countries.

Haji Azeemullah Shinwari, a representative of local transporters, welcomed the decision and said that it would help to resolve their longstanding issues.

He, however, requested the authorities to treat the cleaners or assistant drivers in a similar way as they too were faced with restrictions at border due to one-time grant of visa.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2022