RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: Chairman of Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce & Industry (PAJCCI) Zubair Motiwala has urged Afghan Ambassador Dr Omar Zakhilwal to convene a meeting between private sectors of both the countries for facilitating them in reconnecting with each other and identify common grounds of peace, prosperity and strong economic ties.

Acknowledging recent statement of Dr Zakhilwal, he reiterated that it is a dire need to remove deep-rooted mistrust in Pak-Afghan relationship that is not only hampering political dialogue but also significantly impacting the economic transition between both the countries and also the region.

He offered PAJCCI's services as a bilateral entity, having its members in both the countries, to act as a joint platform to support overarching objective of peace, prosperity and economic connectivity.

He strongly urged the governments of the two countries to segregate business and trade ties from political and military tensions. He called for strong security measures that are vital for stabilization and sustainability of both the countries without compromising the sentiments of the business community across the border. He emphasized that both the governments should take confidence building measures immediately to revive the peace and economic prosperity between the both countries in order to save the business communities across the border from losing long-term association established since ages. Historically, it has been proven that peace follows economic initiatives and not otherwise hence Governments should allow economics to function freely and help politics rather than obstructing the free flow of economic activities, he proposed.

Motiwala elaborated that PAJCCI since its inception, has been endeavourng to build confidence between the two countries and ensuring that business communities across the border attain mutual benefits in terms of trade, transit, security, peace and prosperity.

He cited that in a recently held "Expo Pakistan" exhibition in Karachi, the Afghanistan delegation (under the leadership of co-chairman PAJCCI) was the second largest amongst all the international delegations in the event. He said it illustrated the invincible bond between the business communities of Pakistan and Afghanistan proving that despite socio-political turmoil across the border, the people-to-people contact is highly commendable. He stressed that it should be a realization for the governments of the two countries that political whims should always follow economic imperatives and not otherwise.

"Nonetheless, recent political turmoil has resulted in permanent, long-term damage to the bilateral and transit trade whereby Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has dropped significantly in the last 2 to 3 years because of bilateral tension that caused other countries to penetrate in Afghanistan easily, as India has recently acquired a very strong hold both socially and economically there, causing double damage to the Pakistani economy and neighbourly relationship," he said, adding that additionally the recent figures are showing rise in Afghanistan's trade with Iran (both transit and bilateral) and a corresponding decline in business with Pakistan due to disturbing political ties since long.

PAJCCI chairman said that even though Karachi is the most economical route for transit trade for Afghanistan; however, Iran's facilitation to Afghan businessmen is pulling the business away.

He mentioned that in a recent visit to Afghanistan, General Qamar Bajwa committed arrangement of a meeting of Afghan business community with Prime Minister Abbasi for resolution of their grievances. He urged General Bajwa to expedite this initiative. He offered services of PAJCCI as a bilateral entity, to act as a joint platform for illustrating the sentiments of business community across the border.

Motiwala said that during recent border closure, he led a delegation of private sector's representatives from across the border who met Afghan Ambassador to ensure prompt resolution of the matter. The delegation also met National Security Adviser, Lt Gen Nasir Janjua (retd), Federal Minister for Trade and Commerce Khurram Dastgir Khan, chairman Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of Pakistan Awais Leghari, chairman Pak-Afghan Parliamentary Friendship Group Aftab Sherpao and Commerce Committee of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

The border opening has re-established the trust amongst private sector of both the countries that PAJCCI sought from Zakhilwal. It also asked him to utilize his good offices for organizing pending APTTCA meeting for resolving the critical issues associated with transit trade. He ensured PAJCCI's active support from across the border for arranging the said meeting.

Motiwala reinforced that PAJCCI has unanimously developed both short-term and long-term solutions for eradicating the common menace. He enlisted several initiatives taken by PAJCCI in past that has formally aided policymaking and arbitration amongst private sector of both the countries and nourished regional integration for mutual benefits. As a long term solution, he emphasized greatly on the dire need of tariff rationalization and fiscal reforms to counter parallel trade between the two countries. He urged that in order to protect the rights of trading and business partners across the border, an arbitration clause may be made part of the contractual obligations. He emphasized on the importance of establishing Export Houses for the business and trading community across the border under PAJCCI's umbrella, that should be run by professional management with due support from the governments on both the sides.

"This concept will eliminate issues related to quality specifications, trust deficit, insurance and payment matters and will build the confidence amongst each other," he said, adding that additionally, regional integration and common investment opportunities in both countries would be a breakthrough initiative to enhance connectivity in regional business landscape.