Islamabad: The federal government on Thursday resumed the country’s trade activities by reopening the Taftan border on an uninterrupted, seven-days-a-week, schedule, according to news sources.
The border was closed on March 17 after the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran and Pakistan. The interior ministry made the decision to reopen the borders upon intervention from the National Assembly’s Special Committee on Agricultural Products.
The Ministry of Interior has informed the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the inspector general of Frontier Corps (South) regarding the said decision. The Taftan border will operate all days of the week for trade – with proper implementations of the government-sanctioned Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines.
Moreover, the customs officials have reported that presently only Iranian trucks that also carry edible goods have been allowed the cross-over. Reportedly, a large number of containers of mangoes have been waiting at Taftan border to cross into Iran.
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser – who also heads the Special Committee on Agricultural Products– wrote a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in this regard. He urged him to take notice of the matter and direct the ministries concerned to facilitate the mango exporters. Qaiser opined that mangoes were a perishable commodity and any procedural delays can end up costing millions to the national exchequer.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) have also announced one-third reduction in air cargo tariff to facilitate mango exporters.
Hazafa reveres the art of writing and has been turned into a property enthusiast by profession. Her daily survival kit includes; tea, coffee, keyboard and paperbacks.
