Karachi, August 01, 2018 (PPI-OT): Chairman Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zubair Motiwala acknowledged Honorable Imran Khan for his staunch belief in nourishing ties with neighboring countries, especially with Afghanistan to ease strained relations between the two countries and revive a push for peace and economic talks.
Motiwala established that at this time of deteriorating relationship and growing mistrust, the recent pledge of new Prime Minister can be termed as significantly instrumental for strengthening the historical ties between the two nations. He believed that Imran’s vision to ensure ease of doing business is highly commendable. Motiwala urged that economic challenges faced by Pakistan specifically in context of regional trade and connectivity and streamlining economic friendly policies along with constant engagement with private sector stakeholders for effective implementation of the same should be the prime agenda of the recently appointed team for enhancing the overall trade quantum of Pakistan.
Zubair Motiwala strongly urged both the governments to segregate business and trade ties from political and military tensions, though, establish strong security measures that are vital for stabilization and sustainability of both the countries without compromising upon the sentiments of the business community across the border.
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 suggested that Pak-Afghan trade, both bilateral and transit, needs rejuvenation and appropriate confidence building measures may be instilled for removing 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.
President PAJCCI, Junaid Makda showed confidence that Imran Khan’s acceptance of Honorable Ashraf Ghani’s invitation would be an important initiative for breaking the ice that will help revive and strengthen long-standing business ties between both the countries and urged both the Governments to keenly follow-up such concerns and develop measures of a long term nature, for ensuring overall economic stability in the region. He urged the new government to facilitate the avenue for holding long pending APTTCA meetings to help resolve issues of the business community across the border.
The first meeting of APAPPS was held in Kabul recently and its framework provided a comprehensive and structured mechanism to enhance engagement between counterpart institutions of the two countries. Secretary General PAJCCI, Faiza shed light on its working and elaborated that the first meeting of economic working group was very stimulating and twelve most important action items were agreed upon, across the border.
PAJCCI was representing the private stakeholders across the border and raised most important items, first is organizing long-pending APTTCA meeting followed by completion of pending projects and revival of confidence building by engaging in joint business engagements across the border. Moreover, PAJCCI during the first quarter of 2018, met all relevant stakeholders across the border and compiled the vast dimension of bilateral and transit issues along with proposed resolutions and developed a comprehensive policy advocacy document that was shared with the delegation and all relevant ministries across the border. It is believed that this report can act as a fundamental support in incorporating strategic insight into economic deliberations pertinent to both the sides and will facilitate the solution of major issues hampering the historical ties between the two brotherly nations.
Motiwala elaborated that PAJCCI, since its inception, has been making all relevant endeavours to improve and stabilize confidence building measures between the two countries and ensuring that business communities across the border attain mutual benefits in terms of trade, transit, security, peace and prosperity. It is also part of all relevant forums like APTTCA, JEC and recently formed APAPPS economic working group. Hence PAJCCI’s services as a bilateral entity, having its members in both the countries, to act as a joint platform to support the overarching objective of peace, prosperity and economic connectivity can be utilized for mutually beneficial policy making and execution.
Chairman PAJCCI requested a call-on meeting with H.E. Prime Minister of Pakistan and his team for deliberating upon important issues that require policy advocacy and for incorporating strategic insight to facilitate the solution of major issues hampering the historical ties between two brotherly nations. He further requested for convening a meeting between private sectors and government officials of both the countries for facilitating them in reconnecting with each other and identifying common grounds of peace, prosperity and strong economic ties.
For more information, contact:
Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI)
Tel: +92-21-99218024-7
Fax: +92-21-99218028
Email: info@pajcci.com