PESHAWAR: Traders in both Afghanistan and Pakistan said they welcomed an announcement by the Pakistan embassy in Kabul that it was implementing “in letter and spirit” a new liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals, but cautioned that strict measures at border crossings between the neighbors were impeding the movement of travelers and hampering trade.
Traders have long urged officials in Kabul and Islamabad to ease border measures to expedite the movement of goods between the two countries, a process that has slowed down even further in recent months due to new rules introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Pakistan embassy in Kabul said the embassy and consulates in Afghanistan had “ensured implementation of Pakistan government’s new liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals enacted on 29 September 2020 in letter and spirit.”
“Yes, we see the visa process has now been expedited and a large number of Afghans are visiting Pakistan but the problem is that Pakistani officials have certain limitations in place on the Pak-Afghan Torkham border, which is a serious matter of concern,” Hajji Muhammad Usman, a member of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce, told Arab News on Tuesday, referring to a major border crossing between the two nations.
Under the new policy, the number of visa form collection windows has been increased from seven to 17 and long-term multiple entry visas have been allowed for all categories of visitors. The Pakistan embassy has also introduced an online or E-visa for Afghan nationals in major cities.
Separate windows have been designated for applicants seeking medical treatment and for students, traders and women. Except for business visas, there is no fee to apply for a visa.
“As a result of these concrete measures, this Embassy and our Consulates have issued 150,000 visas during the months of October and November alone,” the embassy statement said. “In addition to this, around 12,000 online E-visas have been issued by the Embassy during the past one and a half month.”
Zarqeeb Shinwari, President of Custom Clearing Agents on the Pakistani side of the Torkham border, said the liberal visa policy was a “good gesture” and would improve bilateral ties but both countries needed to make the movement of traders and travelers easier at border points.
Pakistan’s commerce minister said last month Islamabad planned to increase the volume of bilateral trade with Afghanistan, which stood at $2 billion in 2019, to $5 billion in the next five years.
Traders cautiously optimistic about new liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals
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Traders cautiously optimistic about new liberal visa policy for Afghan nationals
- As a result of new measures, Pakistan embassy and consulates have issued 150,000 Afghan visas during October and November alone
- Traders have long urged Kabul and Islamabad to ease border measures to expedite movement of goods between the two countries
Pakistani stocks breach 176,000 points barrier as investors expect further rate cuts
- Pakistani financial analyst attributes surge to falling inflation, investors expecting further policy rate cuts
- Pakistan’s finance ministry said Thursday that inflation had slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December
KARACHI: Pakistani stocks continued their bullish run on Thursday, breaching the 176,000 points barrier for the first time after trading ended, with analysts attributing the surge to investors expecting further cuts in the policy rate.
The KSE-100 benchmark gained 2,301.17 points at close of business on Thursday, marking an increase of 1.32 percent to settle at 176,355.49 points.
Pakistan’s central bank cut its key policy rate by 50 basis points to 10.5 percent last month, breaking a four-meeting hold in a move that surprised markets. Pakistan’s consumer price inflation slowed to 5.6 percent year-on-year in December, while prices fell on a monthly basis as per data from the finance ministry.
“Upbeat data for consumer price index (CPI) inflation at 5.6pc in December 2025 [with] investors expecting a further State Bank of Pakistan rate cuts on falling inflation data,” Ahsan Mehanti, CEO of Arif Habib Commodities Ltd., told Arab News.
The stock market witnessed a trading volume of 1,402.650 million shares, with a traded value of Rs48.424 billion ($173 million), compared with 957.239 million shares valued at Rs44.231 billion ($158 million) during the previous session.
Topline Securities, a leading brokerage firm in Pakistan, credited the surge to strong buying at the first session.
“This positivity can be accredited to buying by local institutions on the start of the new calendar year,” it said.
Pakistan’s Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad highlighted that the bullish trend at the stock market reflected “strong investor confidence.”
“With lower inflation, affordable fuel, stronger reserves, rising digitization and a buoyant capital market, Pakistan’s economic outlook is clearly improving--supporting greater confidence, better investment sentiment and more positive momentum for 2026,” he said on social media platform X.
