Pakistan Introduces One-Year Multiple Entry Visa for Afghan Drivers to Boost Cross-Border Trade

Strategic Insights -

The Pakistani government's decision to introduce a one-year multiple entry visa for Afghan drivers is expected to significantly boost cross-border trade and streamline border management between the two countries. The new policy aims to simplify the process of granting Afghan drivers and transporters a visa, allowing them to travel freely between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Senior Vice President of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has welcomed the decision, stating that it will help reduce hurdles to Pak-Afghan trade and transit trade.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Pakistan government has introduced a one-year multiple entry visa policy for Afghan drivers to enhance bilateral trade and streamline border management.
  • Afghan drivers and transporters will be granted a one-year multiple entry visa, allowing them to travel freely between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • The visa fee should be fixed at a reasonable rate to avoid creating problems for drivers and traders.
  • A desk should be set up at the Torkham border point for visa issuance and renewal for drivers and cleaners.
  • The revival of the "Red Pass" policy, introduced in the late 1980s, could also help expedite cargo traveling procedures and timelines in Pak-Afghan trade.
  • The new policy aims to reduce time-consuming visits to embassies for application submission and other formalities.
  • The current TAD-1 document system for Afghan drivers is plagued by problems, including a fee that increased from $100 to $1,000 during processing.

Statistics:

  • The new one-year multiple entry visa policy is expected to significantly boost cross-border trade and streamline border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • The visa fee for the new policy should be fixed at a reasonable rate to avoid creating problems for drivers and traders.
  • The "Red Pass" policy was introduced in the late 1980s to facilitate trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  • 10% of export-import bound goods are delayed due to time-consuming visits to embassies for application submission and other formalities.

Sources:

  • Pakistan introduces one-year multiple entry visa for Afghan drivers to boost trade, Peshawar, Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry.