Pak’s economy being harmed under garb of smuggling and Afghan transit trade, Jan Achakzai

Independent Report

QUETTA: The caretaker Provincial Minister for Information, Jan Achakzai has stated Pakistan’s economy is being harmed under the garb of smuggling and Afghan transit trade.
The Minister Information asserted that Pakistan can’t allow economic terrorism in the name of Afghan transit trade as its use should be stopped forthwith.
He said that it has been witnessed that the process of harming country’s economy is continued under the garb of Afghan transit trade after the Taliban’s government in Afghanistan.
The Minister Information was addressing a hurriedly called press conference at Quetta Press Club on Wednesday.
Jan Achakzai said that Pakistan wants promotion of trade in the region, and in this regard, wholehearted efforts are continued as well.
He said that Afghanistan is our neighbour brotherly country, and we also have trade and commerce relations with it.
As Afghanistan is a landlocked country, so Pakistan has provided passage for the foreign trade to it, adding he mentioned.
But, Pakistan can’t allow economic terrorism in the name of Afghan transit trade and smuggling, he asserted.
Jan Achakzai revealed that the mafia people smuggle the goods and luxury items under the garb of Afghan transit trade on which Pakistan has increased the duty manifold in order to discourage their import.
What tough measures taken by the Army Chief Syed Asim Munir for stabilizing the country’s economy are also included the elimination of smuggling, he mentioned.
He said that the economic terrorists are taking advantage of the country’s soft attitude.
He said that if Afghanistan and other neighboring countries pay attention on the mutual trade, it would also have positive impact on our economy and discourage the smuggling mafia.
He urged Afghanistan to refrain from taking the matter of containers of Afghan transit trade arriving at the Karachi port.
He said that the manner Pakistan is fighting against the terrorism, it is also making endeavours to end economic terrorism.
He said that Pakistan still wants better relations with Afghanistan, and expects that it (Afghanistan) would not let use its land against every kind of terrorism including the economic one.
Referring the repatriation of illegal immigrants, the Minister Information maintained that the process of repatriation is continued and would remain without any interruption as it is in the state’s interest.
To another query, he noted that over 105,000 immigrants have so far been repatriated from Balochistan via Chaman border.