Peshawar Meeting Stresses Revival of Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade
Participants of an economic meeting in the city of Peshawar emphasized the necessity of reopening and expanding trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan. They called for a balance between securing border crossings and facilitating legal trade. The participants highlighted strengthening regional economic ties as crucial to improving the trade situation between the two countries.
According to attendees, distrust and security challenges in recent years have weakened economic relations. Data presented at the meeting showed that the volume of bilateral trade dropped from $2.24 billion to $754 million, resulting in Pakistan losing approximately $1.5 billion in exports.
The Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stated at the meeting that Pakistan is committed to expanding bilateral relations and increasing trade levels with Afghanistan and other neighboring countries. Participants also stressed that trade should be kept separate from political issues to improve the current situation.
Meanwhile, regional projects such as TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) and the proposed Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway were highlighted as significant economic opportunities. Speakers believe that realizing these initiatives could transform Afghanistan into a regional trade hub, reduce transit costs, and promote economic growth.
However, the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce criticized Pakistan’s trade policies, emphasizing that effectively restarting trade between Kabul and Islamabad requires a serious and coordinated approach. The organization urged the relevant ministries of both countries to adopt practical and effective measures to resolve existing problems.
Khan Jan Alkozi, head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, described the current trade situation as unprecedented, stating that there is no comparable example in global trade history of such treatment of goods and commercial property.
In conclusion, participants warned that ongoing insecurity and lack of mutual trust remain fundamental obstacles to sustainable trade revival. Without establishing a secure environment and building trust, improving economic relations between the two countries will be difficult.
