The officials of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment in a press conference in Kabul called the imposition of trade tariffs on the goods of Afghan traders in transit by Pakistan in the port of Karachi against international trade and demanded the termination of trade relations with Pakistan if the restrictions continue.

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - Kabul: The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment held a press conference with the presence of the country's businessmen and investors today, Wednesday (January 4), due to the problems created for the country's businessmen at Karachi Port, Pakistan.
 
Yunus Momand, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said: "Pakistan has no right to collect commercial tariffs from the commercial properties of Afghan businessmen in the port of Karachi."
 
He added that if Pakistan does not establish good trade relations with us, the Islamic Emirate should also reciprocate.
 
The head of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate to intervene directly to solve the problem so that Afghan businessmen do not suffer more than this economic loss.
 
Yunus Momand added: We conduct economic interactions with all countries, and if a country creates problems for Afghanistan's commercial property, the Islamic Emirate should also reciprocate.
 
He assured all the citizens of the country that the price of food items will not increase and that there are alternative ways of importing for the country.
 
Khanjan Alkozi, a member of the leadership board of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, also said: It is not fair that Pakistan violates international economic laws.
 
He added: Shir Khan Bandar, Hairatan, Aqina, etc. are the important economic ports of Afghanistan, from which one million tons of Pakistani fruits have been exported without the imposition of commercial tax.
 
Khanjan Alkozi continued: But Pakistan has imposed a trade tax on the commercial property of Afghan businessmen in the port of Karachi, which is against economic laws in the international arena.
 
This member of the leadership board of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment added that it is the duty of the Islamic Emirate to be aware of the problems of businessmen.
 
He said that if Pakistan does not remove the high commercial tax imposed on Afghan businessmen's goods in transit from Karachi port, from now on the export and import of businessmen will take place through Iran's Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports.
 
He said that the request of all businessmen from the Islamic Emirate is not to allow Pakistani businessmen to export and import from Afghanistan.
 
Khanjan Alkozi said that instead of being hostile to the Afghan nation, Pakistan should maintain good neighborliness and not destroy the trade relations between the two countries due to political tensions.
 
After the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement (APTA) was signed in 2010, Pakistan allowed the transit of Afghan goods through the ports of Karachi, Qasim and Gwadar.
 
Similarly, Afghan traders were allowed to move their goods to several ports in India, and in return, Pakistan gained the privilege of trading through Afghanistan to Central Asia.