Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
A legislative body of Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday was informed that the government was focusing on security concern in Afghanistan as the situation are changing rapidly and it was impossible to open new trade routes with Afghanistan.
However, the National Assembly Standing Commit-tee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) rec-ommended the government to make prior arrange-ment for opening the Nawa Pass and Gorsal Border points at Pakistan Afghanistan border for trade/business activities.
Officials of the ministry of commerce and interior informed the committee that the above borders were closed due to security concerns before the distur-bance in Afghanistan.
In current circumstances, they said it was impossible to open these points for trader activities due to disturbance in Afghanistan.
Nawapass connects Bajaur Tribal District of Paki-stan with Kunar province of Afghanistan on its west and it was formally closed in 2007 due to security situation and less prospect of legal trade.
Girsal Pass as a Mule Trake had been a passage between village Gharao (Afghanistan) and village Manzari China (Pakistan) and was mostly used for smuggling of livestock and electronic items, the ministry of inte-rior informed the committee in written.
Trade con-tinued despite fragile security situation till May 2013 and was finally closed due t repeated terror-ist’s attacks.
The ministry of interior claimed that Nawapass and Gursal crossing points do not have any legal trade potential as mostly illegal trade/smuggling continued till installation of border fence.
