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Ban on land route trade

Hopes pinned on PHC verdict

IQBAL KHATTAK

PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Faiz Rasool Khan has pinned hopes on the outcome of a petition that he filed in Peshawar High Court challenging federal government's ban on land route trade with Afghanistan through NWFP.

The government of Nawaz Sharif had imposed the ban on land route trade with Afghanistan in December 1997. It also withdrew duty drawback on exports to the north western neighbour as well as Central Asian Republics.

The Peshawar High Court has reserved the judgement and it is likely to the announced in the near future.

The federal government's biggest fear in lifting the ban appeared that "dishonest" elements among Frontier industrialists might misuse the facility.

The ban on land route trade with Afghanistan resulted in the closure of several hundred industrial units in the Frontier province, Faiz Rasool claimed.

The NWFP government also joined NWFP industrialists calling Islamabad to lift the ban as it was harming the province's interest.

The NWFP governor took up the issue with Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf, during a meeting last December in Peshawar, sources said.