Minister of State for Finance Rana Mohammad Afzal, Thursday, assured Afghan delegation of his support for speedy customs clearance at the ports to facilitate early movement of goods containers.
In a meeting with Afghan delegation attending the Pak-Afghan Joint Committee (PAJC) here, both sides agreed that new customs clearance facility at Torkham needs to be completed in the shortest possible time so that excessive delays could be avoided. During the meeting discussion specially focused on problems being faced in the realm of transit trade and measures for trade facilitation.
Afghan delegation was here to attend the Pak-Afghan Joint Committee (PAJC) meeting in Islamabad organized by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), Pakistan as part of its Track II initiative ‘Beyond Boundaries’. They also discussed that the scholarships being offered to Afghan students could also be made available to Afghan refugee families in Pakistan. The delegation apprised the Minister that the Afghan Government is making concerted efforts for resettlement of Afghan refugees back home and that it plans to facilitate two million refugees in two years.
The Minister on the occasion appreciated the statement of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wherein he mentioned about unconditional dialogue with Afghan Taliban and also having talks with Government of Pakistan to resolve Afghan crisis. The delegation thanked Minster Rana Afzal for sparing time for the meeting and a frank discussion with members of the delegation on different matters.
This piece originally appeared in Pakistan Observer on March 01, 2018.
Disclaimer: Views expressed on this blog are not necessarily endorsed or supported by the Center for Research and Security Studies, Islamabad.
