Pakistani officials will release 3,000 Afghan trucks on Monday after a bilateral meeting with Afghan traders and officials, officials said.
A delegation from the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries travelled to Pakistan to attend the fourth Joint Afghan-Pak Chamber of Commerce and Industries Summit aimed at easing the transit and trade issues between the two countries.
As many as 3,000 Afghan trade trucks were recently paused in Pakistan over transit issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan; however, Pakistani officials ordered the immediate release of the Afghan trucks as part of Pakistan's efforts to facilitate the implementation of APTA [Afghanistan and Pakistan Trade Agreement].
"Pakistan officials ordered the release of 3,000 Afghan trade trucks on Monday and resolved APTA's technical issues in 10 days," Deputy Chief of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) Janan Alokozay said at a press conference in Kabul.
Afghan traders expressed skepticism about the release of the trucks, pointing to Pakistan's previous failure to implement APTA's provisions.
"We are not optimistic of Pakistan's promises," Rahmatullah Rahmat, an Afghan factory owner, told TOLOnews.
The fourth Joint Afghan-Pak Chamber of Commerce and Industries Summit also resulted in easing visa restrictions for Afghan truck drivers transporting goods into Pakistan.