Pakistan-Iran border: Thousands left jobless amid closure of market at Taftan
Thousands of people are left jobless due to the closure of the market at Taftan, for the last one-year -- the border of Iran and Pakistan, reported Pak vernacular media Intekhab Daily.
Their only business was the across-border business which the government has stopped. Although at the Pak-Iran border of Taftan a new terminal with modern facilities was constructed last year but its opening is delayed due to the interference of some influential persons, who don't want the border to be opened, reported Intekhab Daily.
The protest was held by Anjuman Tajiran, the labour union and members of different political parties. This was the second protest sit-in this month staged by the traders against the blockade of the trade corridors, Dawn reported.
According to sources in the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the immigration and transit gate for trade and tax-free-trade gate, Zero Point, remained closed from the Iranian side.
Meanwhile, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday warned that his "country is sinking" as he announced that PTI governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces will dissolve their assemblies on December 23 to pave the way for fresh polls.
At the beginning of his address, Imran Khan bemoaned about the country's current economic situation under the Shehbaz Sharif government. Imran said a government with a fresh mandate and the nation's support behind it would be able to raise its stature, Dawn reported.
Islamabad's foreign exchange crisis has worsened as reserves have been depleted to a critical low of USD 8 billion, compared to over USD 20 billion in August 2021, undermining the country's ability to make international payments.
Remittances totalled USD 9.9 billion in July-October 2022, down 8.6 per cent from USD 10.827 billion in the same period last year. If the current trend continues, overall remittances in FY23, which ends in June, are expected to be close to USD 30 billion, down from USD 31 billion in FY 2022, Asian Lite reported.
Despite Pakistan's finance minister Ishaq Dar's repeated assurances for Sukuk payment, the international market is not willing to trust the assurances as the nation's economy struggles to avoid default by borrowing more from the markets, donors, commercial banks and friendly nations.