Assurance given for release of Afghan goods
Dawn
By Ahmed Hassan

ISLAMABAD, June 7: Pakistan has assured Afghanistan of early release of the multi-million-dollar trade goods dumped for the last over two years at Karachi port for want of clearance from the Central Board of Revenue.

The assurance was given by the officials of the commerce ministry during a meeting with Afghan envoy Mullah Abdus Salam Zaeef, who led a three-member team, including the Afghan trade counsellor and diplomatic mission deputy.

A spokesman for the Afghan embassy told Dawn on Thursday that a huge quantity of trade goods' containers purchased under the Afghan transit trade treaty were lying at Karachi port for the last two years with huge demurrage being claimed by the port authorities. He, however, said the Afghan government was of the view that the delay in clearance of goods from the port was not the fault of Afghan traders. He said the Afghan delegation had asked the commerce ministry officials to order immediate release of the goods to avoid further loss to the traders.