by Tahir Ali

 

PESHAWAR, April.8 (Gwadar Pro) – To promote trade activities in the region, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Wednesday inaugurated Pak-Afghan Transit trade via Ghulam Khan border crossing at North Waziristan tribal district.  

 

Ghulam Khan crossing, at Pak-Afghan border point, is the shortest route connecting China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s western route with Afghanistan, Central Asian States and beyond.

 

During the opening ceremony, two transit trade vehicles arriving from the port city of Karachi were sent to Kabul via Ghulam Khan. “The opening of the border will promote trade to central Asian states through Ghulam Khan border crossing,” Shah Muhammad Wazir, KP Minister for Transport, said while inaugurating the trade terminal.

 

Regular transit trade via Ghulam Khan crossing will “create several thousand jobs on both sides of the border. Pakistan and Afghanistan can defeat poverty by increasing economic cooperation,” Muhammad Said, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan said in a Twitter message.

 

Ghulam Khan crossing is located between North Waziristan and Afghanistan's Khost province. Hakla-Dera Ismail Khan Motorway (M-14) under CPEC is not far away from Bannu district of KP that serves as a gateway to North Waziristan. The proposed DI Khan-Zhob Motorway creates a chain among Ghulam Khan, DI Khan, Quetta, and Gwadar.   

 

The government of KP has proposed Daraban Economic Zone (DEZ) Dera Ismail into CPEC. For DEZ, Ghulam Khan is the ideal transit route to target markets in Afghanistan and beyond to Central Asian countries. The Government of KP plans to establish the DEZ over 3,125 acres of land with 400 industrial units. It would be the largest EZ of the province. The DEZ is at a two-kilometer distance from CPEC route, making it ideal for international investors.

 

 

In a recent interaction with SACM KP, Abdul Karim Tordher told Gwadar Pro that “Our target is not only the local markets, targeted markets for our SEZs are Afghanistan and Central Asian countries”.

 

Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Government has tasked the Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser with making efforts to strengthen trade activities between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He is continuously holding meetings with Afghan officials to become part of CPEC projects. On April 1, Mr.Qaiser held a meeting with Afghan Ambassador Najibullah AliKhil and they exchanged views to further "utilize existing bilateral and transit trade opportunities for mutual benefit”.  “Pakistan fully supports Afghan Peace Process and seeks to enhance cooperation for economic development and regional connectivity,” he said in a statement.

 

Asad Qaiser, along with a nine-member delegation, is leaving for a three-day visit to Afghanistan from Thursday. “Efforts are being made to further strengthen trade with Afghanistan; during the visit, discussions will be held with the political leadership on increasing Pak-Afghan trade,” Asad Qaiser said in a statement.