President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain has said that Pakistan should not allow trade route to Afghanistan for India under any circumstances
Karachi (Pakistan Point News / Online - 24th April, 2019) President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) and former provincial minister, Mian Zahid Hussain has said that Pakistan should not allow trade route to Afghanistan for India under any circumstances. While speaking to a meeting of business community on Wednesday at his office , he said that government should suspend the project of Khyber Pass Economic Corridor which can compromise the national security Pakistan is already facing problems.
He said that it is not a feasible project for Pakistan as it would have burdened our country by half a billion Dollars while four countries were to benefit from it.The former minister said that Afghanistan has demanded access to Indian territory for its trade . Afghanistan has linked free movement of its cargo through Pakistani roads to the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan Trade and Transit Agreement (PATTA) which should not be allowed. The PATTTA is a very important project for Pakistan but it will never gain importance over the national security, he said.
"Why should Pakistan pay the price when not a single country is ready to share the financial burden, he asked. Afghanistan has already launched a trade route to India through Iran then why Kabul is insisting on a land route to India through Pakistan. Iranian port of Chabahar provides easy access to the sea to Afghanistan and India has helped developed this route to allow both countries to engage in trade bypassing Pakistan", he added.He said that the new wave of terrorism in Balochistan has raised concerns among masses and the business community.
The people were thinking that terrorism had been eliminated from the country but the enemies have once again proved that they still exist and are currently active .Army should launch a decisive operation to uproot terrorism from Pakistan forever so that masses could get relief, he demanded.The business leader said that Pakistan is going through a difficult period of time and is already facing a number of crises including an unstable economy, water shortage, and rising unemployment. The country's name has already been added to the grey list of Financial Action Task Force.
