ISLAMABAD: SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Sunday said Pakistan and Iran have shown unforgettable generosity in hosting millions of Afghans reminding the rest of the world to come forward and help Afghanistan.
This was stated by the President SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry Iftikhar Ali Malik on Sunday while talking to a traders delegation led by Chaudhry Kaleem Ullah Anjum Arain.
He said the 57 nation OIC which met in Islamabad recently resolved to work with the UN to get the entire frozen assets unlocked.
He said this money is critically needed to sustain, stabilize and revive the Afghan economy and to save millions of lives of poor and hungry Afghan children, women, and men.
He said this would be the most effective and generous display of solidarity with the people of Afghanistan.
He underlined the need to jump-start Afghanistan’s economy through increased liquidity and called upon the world especially Europe and US must pull the economy back from the brink by freeing up entire frozen currency reserves and re-engaging Afghanistan Central Bank.
Iftikhar Ali Malik said international funding must be allowed to pay the salaries of public sector employees he said adding that the Afghan economy was enduring a bitter winter of its own. He warned that the Afghan currency could go into free fall and the country could lose 30 percent of its GDP within the year.
He said Pakistan, on the request of SAARC Chamber, has abolished the majority of taxes on Afghan transit trade while remaining customs duties were highly slashed to the maximum extent to provide solace to traders in war-torn countries.
He said Prime Minister Imran Khan also allowed certain items for Pak Afghan trade in Pak currency with a sole objective of facilitating them besides fully ensuring smooth flow of clearance of imported and exported items at land border points.
Iftikhar Ali Malik said free supply of food and medicines consignments are being supplied to Afghanistan by Pakistan and pharmaceutical companies of Karachi and Lahore.
He said President Anjuman Iranian Pakistan Mian Muhammad Saeed Deraywalay also announced to despatch a consignment of food items, cloths, medicines and essential utensils.
