Traders welcome Pak’s decision to allow Afghan export via Attari-Wagah

Traders welcomed Pakistan’s decision of allowing Afghan export through the Attari-Wagah border from July 15.

Traders welcomed Pakistan’s decision of allowing Afghan export through the Attari-Wagah border from July 15.

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They said the decision comes after international pressure was built up over the neighbouring country’s deliberate attempt of halting Afghan export to India.

Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs said that at the special request of the government of Afghanistan and with view to facilitating transit trade, Pakistan has decided to resume Afghan exports through Attari-Wagah border from July 15, after implementing Covid-19 protocols.

With this, Pakistan has fulfilled its commitments under the Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), the statement says, adding that Pakistan has restored bilateral trade and Afghan transit trade at all border crossing terminals to pre-Covid-19 status.

“We welcome Pakistan’s decision. In May end, three Afghan trucks laden with goods had crossed over to India, but after that no truck had come in,” said Rajdeep Singh Uppal, senior representative of the Confederation of International Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

“We had been getting reports that the movement of goods trucks was not being allowed by Pakistan at Afghanistan’s Chaman and Torkham border. India’s trade with Afghanistan through the land border had continued even during the wars of 1971 and 1962. International pressure was built by Afghanistan forcing Pakistan to not cause any hurdles in trade,” said Federation of Karyana and Dry Fruit Association president Anil Mehra.