Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Realizing the significance of bilateral trade and economic linkages, regional growth and development, the National Assembly of Pakistan under the leadership of Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar has taken a bold initiative to host two-day Seminar on ‘’Pakistan-Afghanistan Trade and Investment Forum 2020’’.
The Seminar, according to National Assembly handout, will commence on Monday, 26th October in Islamabad in which parliamentarians, trade communities of the two sides, government functionaries, line ministries will discuss and deliberate on ways and means to open up new vistas of cooperation and boosting bilateral trade between Islamabad and Kabul. USAID, Pakistan has also extended support to National Assembly Secretariat in organizing Seminar under its regional connectivity and integration initiative.
Inter-Parliamentary parleys, during the seminar, will explore the possibilities of regional connectivity and to provide for mechanisms to enhance bilateral trade and strategies to resolve all outstanding issues to create a win-win situation. Thematic sessions of the seminar will focus on reducing cost of Pakistan-Afghanistan transit trade, trade and investment opportunities in manufacturing sector, trade and investment opportunities in agriculture, food, live stock and minerals and trade and investment opportunities in services.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan will address the opening ceremony of the Conference on 26th October, as Chief Guest. Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar, Advisor for Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi will also address the gathering besides addresses of Speaker Afghan Wolesi Jirga Mir Rehman Rehmani and Commerce Minister of Afghanistan Nisar Ghoriyani.
Seminar is unique and historic keeping in view the government’s vibrant policies aimed at promoting regional connectivity and creating an environment of shared development and prosperity. Owing to the huge significance, the seminar has attracted huge interest from representatives from Afghanistan trade and investment community, intelligentsia, academia, investors and traders and other people from different walks of lives to participate.
The trade and investment moot is the culmination of activities of Executive Committee of Pakistan Afghanistan Parliamentary Friendship. The Executive Committee of Pakistan-Afghanistan PFG in its endeavors under the leadership of Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser achieved milestones in the form of eradicating tariff and non-tariff issues, especially lubricating the transit trade between both countries, officially made it possible to get formal approval of Afghanistan visa liberalization visa policy from the Cabinet, facilitated traders on both sides of the borders, and it brought two brotherly nations closer.
