KARACHI: Pakistan’s top trade and commerce official said on Wednesday his country would import liquified petroleum gas (LPG) from Iran in exchange of rice under a barter arrangement endorsed by the two countries.
Earlier this month, Pakistan and Iran held the 9th Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting in Tehran and resolved to take bilateral trade to $5 billion by 2023.
It is pertinent to mention that Iran faces sanctions imposed by the United States, making it difficult for global and regional countries to broaden and deepen their trade ties with the administration in Tehran.
“When we went to Iran what we talked about was the barter trade,” said the prime minister’s adviser on commerce Abdul Razak Dawood while addressing a news conference at the Karachi Press Club. “Almost all pieces of the jigsaw have been put in place.”
“We will export rice to Iran and import LPG from there … It is purely a barter deal … They [Iran] have agreed in principle and we have signed it [the memorandum of understanding],” he said, adding the barter trade would begin within a month or two.
Responding to a question about the implications of trading with Iran when the Middle Eastern state was under US sanctions, Dawood said it was a private arrangement.
“It is ... between the chamber of Quetta and the chamber of Zahedan,” he said while referring to the memorandum of understanding signed by the representative bodies of the business community in the two countries under the JTC.
Pakistan’s top trade and commerce official said the two chambers were taking the initiative and the governments were not getting involved.
“It is the private sector from this side and the private sector from that side who are doing this and that is okay. You can’t do it through banking as no bank would extend its hand,” he explained.
However, a former Pakistani ambassador to the United States said the administration in Washington was likely to view the deal as a violation of its economic embargo on Iran.
“The US has opposed barter deals with Iran and deemed them a violation of sanctions in effect,” said Husain Haqqani, who currently works with Hudson Institute in Washington DC. “Pakistan would have to be prepared for negative American reaction on any large-scale barter arrangement with Iran.”
Dawood also noted the country’s exports were increasing by 30 percent, adding that more growth could still be achieved by adopting product and geographical diversification.
“To achieve the export target, connectivity with Central Asian countries through Silk Route Reconnect Policy and Look Africa Policy have been formulated and implemented,” he said.
“In the coming week, we are going to Lagos, Nigeria, to tap the western side of Africa with 115 businessmen to hold a country exhibition,” he informed. “So far, around 1,300 B2B meetings have been arranged for the three-day event.”
Asked about the glacial pace of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said the direction of the project under the joint economic development framework would change after the completion of power and infrastructure projects.
“Now we need the Chinese support with industries and agriculture,” he said, adding: “Going from one direction to other does not mean that CPEC is becoming less functional.”
The adviser said the corridor project was still very import for Pakistan, though he acknowledged that more Chinese firms should be brought to the country’s strategic sectors.
“The Chinese companies are mainly making investment in local market,” Dawood said, “but the real game is to bring them to Pakistan to enhance our exports. In that area, only two or three Chinese companies have arrived.”
Pakistan to trade rice for LPG under barter arrangement with Iran – PM’s commerce adviser
https://arab.news/mb4st
Pakistan to trade rice for LPG under barter arrangement with Iran – PM’s commerce adviser
- The trade will be carried out by the private sectors of the two countries since Iran faces tough US sanctions
- A former Pakistani ambassador to the United States says Washington is likely to view the deal as a violation of its economic embargo on Tehran
Pakistan’s Punjab deploys satellites, drones, AI to combat smog
- Senior minister warns industrial masks may become necessary without a change in public attitudes toward pollution
- Cities in Punjab face worsening smog each winter, driven by crop burning, vehicle emissions and industrial pollution
ISLAMABAD: Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday said Pakistan’s most populous province deployed satellites, drones and artificial intelligence to tackle smog, warning that industrial masks may become necessary if public attitudes toward air pollution did not change.
Punjab cities face worsening smog each winter, driven by crop burning, vehicle emissions and industrial pollution that threatens public health and daily life. The smog season typically begins in late October, peaks between November and January and can persist through February.
Smog causes symptoms such as sore throats, eye irritation and respiratory illnesses, while prolonged exposure raises the risk of stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. Children are more vulnerable due to higher breathing rates and weaker immune systems.
“We have the AI machine-learning forecasting system in place, surveillance drones and technology cameras,” Aurangzeb said while addressing an event.
“At present, what is considered one of the world’s best environmental protection forces — with training, equipment, technology and digitally integrated data — is operating in Punjab,” she added.
Aurangzeb said surveillance is now being carried out through drones.
“There is monitoring, technology, cameras,” she continued. “Everything is digital.”
The minister maintained the eastern corridor from India was a major source of smoke which becomes active during the winter season.
She said this was the first time a complete testing system was introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency to measure pollution released by vehicles.
She added the government has loaned 5,000 super seeders to farmers, which are agricultural machines that plant crops directly into fields without removing leftover stubble, reducing crop burning, and helping curb winter smog.
Aurangzeb warned the situation could reach a point where people may have to use industrial masks and carry therm around like a “purse or wallet.”
“This will become a mandatory item if we do not change our attitudes and habits toward air quality, climate and conservation.”
Pakistan’s main urban centers routinely rank among the most polluted cities in the world, with vehicular emissions remaining one of the top contributors to air pollution.
The severe air pollution also undermines economic productivity and diminishes the quality of life for millions of residents.
