Border tensions with Iran and Afghanistan should be diffused : FPCCI

Lahore : The Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) on Tuesday said border tensions with Iran and Afghanistan should be diffused. Islamabad, Tehran and Kabul should not allow the tensions to escalate as it will damage all the stakeholders, it said.

The situation should not be allowed to last for long while it should not have any impact on bilateral trade and second round of FTA talks between Pakistan and Iran scheduled in July, said Chairman of FPCCI Regional Committee on Industries Atif Ikram Sheikh.

He said that business community hope that hoped that Pakistan and Afghanistan would properly address the border issue and jointly uphold peace and stability.

Atif Ikram Sheikh lauded the authorities of both Pakistan and Afghanistan who have issued conciliatory statements in an apparent attempt to defuse the situation. He lauded the government for establishing a number of energy projects to bring loadshedding to an end.

The business leader said that apart from the new projects, the operational projects should be improved while the transmission and distribution system should be upgraded without any delay.

He said that an efficient energy system can save around fifty percent of electricity and millions of litres of fuel cutting oil import bill to half while saving fifty percent of the natural gas.

He said that China is consuming fifteen percent of the global energy but if she upgrades infrastructure to the level of Japan it will save fifty percent of the energy worth billions of dollars.

Our Government should promote energy efficiency in state-run and private institutions, he said.