ISLAMABAD: President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik Sunday said proposed US$billion 754 km long Pak-Afghan Transit Rail link gigantic project will strengthen bilateral trade relations besides boosting exports in the region.
Talking to a high level foreign delegation of importers and exporters from UK led by Muhammad Asfund Yar Khan he said it’s good omen that feasibility and survey of the project has been successfully executed by a members of joint team of Pakistan Railways. He said railway link will start from Peshawar and go upto Tarmiz via Jalala Abad- Kabul-Mazaar Sharif. He said after execution of this multinational vital importance project,an era of prosperity,progress and development will usher in mainly aimed at wellbeing of the people of the region besides private sectors of either countries fully exploiting their potentials can foster trade and provide impetus to exports to flourish in the days to come.
He said SAARC Chamber,an apex body of chamber in the region also lauded the endeavours of Pakistan for facilitating trade among member countries by abolishing some of taxes in addition to completely streamlining the cumbersome procedures. He said now bilateral trade between both countries has started showing upward trends via land routes. He said Pakistan has so far contributed US$billion to support the reconstruction of war ravaged Afghanistan by building hospitals,schools and road networks to manifest its commitment for a prosperous Afghanistan. Iftikhar Ali Malik said from its limited resources,Pakistan is providing US$500 million for capacity building in various sectors including education,health,building schools and hospitals roads of Afghanistan besides 14,945 tonnes of human assistance via 694 trucks and 4-C 130 planes since September last under arrangements of Pak-Afghan Cooperation Forum. Leader of UK delegation Muhammad Asfund Yar Khan highly appreciated the efforts of Pakistan for fully supporting the Afghan in their hours of trials and hoped SAARC Chamber under the dynamic leadership of octogenarian trade leader of South Asia Iftikhar Ali Mailk will continue to play his key role in promoting bilateral trade in the region by actively involving private sectors of member states,he concluded.
Leave a Reply