Daily Times

Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has assured that he will take up the issue of closure of Pak-China Khunjerab border in the meeting of the Federal Cabinet while the issue will also be discussed with the Foreign Minister and the Chinese Ambassador. He expressed these views while talking to a delegation of Gilgit-Baltistan businessmen.

A 13-member delegation of Gilgit-Baltistan businessmen led by former MPA Javed Hussain called on Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed in Islamabad and raised the issue of closure of Pak-China border. The delegation informed the Federal Minister that the Pak-China border has been closed since the arrival of coronavirus, billions of GB traders’ goods are stuck in China, thousands of people involved in trade with Gilgit-Baltistan traders are unemployed due to the closure of bilateral trade.

The delegation said that the most important source of GB’s economy is Pak-China trade. The closure of this trade has also led to the bankruptcy of traders and workers. On June 1, China announced the opening of the border for bilateral trade, but China has refused to act on its own announcement.

He requested the Federal Minister to take up the issue at the highest level and play a role in opening the border for trade from July 1 so that the wheel of the country’s economy continues to run along with Gilgit-Baltistan.

At the request of traders, Federal Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed assured that the issue was very important as it was related to people’s employment. The issue will be taken up in the federal cabinet while talks will also be held with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Sheikh Rashid told the businessmen that he had arranged a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador. The businessmen should also participate in this meeting so that the concerns of Pakistani businessmen could be conveyed to the Chinese Ambassador in an efficient manner.

The delegation led by Javed Hussain included President of Importers and Exporters Association Muhammad Ismail, Azam, Shabbir, Taqi Ahmad Jan, Mustafa, Ijaz and others. After the meeting, Javed Hussain said that containers full of goods belonging to GB traders were stranded in China while the issue of accounts in China also needed to be resolved.

“We demand that the border be opened for unilateral trade from July 1,” he said.