The acting Minister of Industry and Commerce (MoIC), Nooruddin Azizi, said that some facilities were made regarding the transit of Pakistani commodities via Afghanistan.

Azizi met with a number of Pakistani traders in Karachi port and discussed the transit and commerce issues between Kabul and Islamabad, according to his spokesman.

“The two sides discussed various issues including facilitating the transit of commodities of the two countries and region and world and also to make the ports’ operation run 24 hours,” said Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, Minister of Industry and Commerce.

Afghan traders said that Pakistan always creates obstacles against Afghan exports.

“The APTTA (Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement) was signed 10 years ago and it should be extended,” said Zalmai Azimi, a trader.

“They should reduce the tariffs for export commodities,” said Omid Haidari, a trader.

This comes as Dawn, a Pakistani new outlet, reported that the quantity of bilateral trade with Afghanistan has plummeted to a mere $800 million in comparison to $1.3 billion per annum in 2015-16, thanks to a lack of interest and coordination between various government departments operating at Torkham.

“The level of commerce has dropped between Afghanistan and Pakistan. As long as there is no change in the facilitation at the ports, or unless there is a change in the policy, there is no possibility for increasing trade,” said Naqibullah Safi, head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce.

Afghanistan mainly imports food stuffs, electronic devices as well as medicine from Pakistan, and exports dried fruit, carpets, agriculture projects as well as coal.