QUETTA: The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Friday called upon the government to order reopening borders with Afghanistan and Iran for trade as importers and exporters have been incurring losses of millions of rupees because of border closure for more than three weeks.

Pakistan closed the Taftan border with Iran on Feb 22 following the outbreak of coronavirus in Iran to stop the virus from spreading in Pakistan.

Later, the federal government closed the Pakistan border with Afghanistan at Chaman, too, because of the similar reason.

In a joint statement, Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ghulam Farooq Khilji, senior vice president Badaruddin Kakar and vice president Wadood Khilji said the government should follow WHO instructions regarding coronavirus and special arrangements should be made for screening of all people coming from and going to the two countries besides setting up quarantine and isolation wards.

They said importers and exporters of goods had been incurring massive losses because of the closure of the border trade with the two countries and the government should make some strategy for resuming trade activities as the livelihood of thousands of people of Balochistan was dependent on import and export of goods with the two countries and the people of Balochistan had been facing serious financial problems because of indefinite suspension of border trade.

“It is a great setback for the industry and businesses of Balochistan and thousands of people have become jobless in border areas of Balochistan,” Ghulam Farooq said.

The business leaders further said that employment of thousands of people of Balochistan was directly or indirectly linked with import and export of goods from Iran and Afghanistan. They appealed to the government to at least order resumption of trade activities with the two countries to protect livelihood of thousands of people of Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2020