Syed Kaleem Shah :
Pakistan and Iran agreed to boost bilateral trade between the two countries and inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) comprising 32 points on Wednesday. Chief Collector Customs, Pakistan Mohammad Sadiq and Iraj Hassanpur, General Manager, Industry, Mines and Trade Organization of Iran, Sistan Balochistan signed the memorandum of understanding.
The business communities of the two countries called for the establishment of more trade routes between Pakistan and Iran to boost economic activities and bilateral trade. A two-day meeting of the 9th Joint Border Trade Committee was held in Zahedan, Iran on Wednesday.
President Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Fida Hussain Dashti was leading the 23-member delegation. Chief Collector Customs of Pakistan Muhammad Sadiq, Deputy Commissioner Chaghi Inamul Haq, DG Fisheries Tariq-ur-Rehman, DS Pakistan Railways Nisar Ahmed, Deputy Director FIA Bashir Ahmed Soomro, and others were also part of the delegation.
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Top Iranian trade officials also attended the joint border trade committee meeting, which discussed all ways and means to improve and boost trade activities at the border. During the meeting, Fida Hussain Dashti, President, of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce, briefed the participants on the current state of trade and difficulties on the Pak-Iran border.
Mr. Dashti said that Pakistan and Iran are two brotherly Islamic neighbors with a long border trade chain. It has been present in some form and it is also innovating with each passing day but even today there is a need for a conducive environment for business activities, the President QCCI stated.
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The two sides underlined the need for building more trade gateways for the business communities and people. For Mashkeel, Panjgur and Bilangur in Kech district, it was suggested to set up industrial zones at Mirjawa and Ramdan border on the Iranian side while Taftan and Kaldan border on the Pakistani side. It was agreed to create more facilities in which the two countries decided to increase trade routes and encourage traders for free trade. The meeting also requested the Iranian authorities to increase the supply of electricity in Makran to address the grievances of the people of Panjgur, Turbat, and Gwadar.
