News
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Afghan trade agreement challenged in LHCLAHORE: A petition has been moved before the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday, challenging the Afghanistan-Pakistan transit trade agreement. The petitioner, Shafqat Mahmood Chohan advocate, stated that the agreement was signed in presence of US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and was not in the national interest. He said the agreement would wreack havoc with the country’s economy, which had already been reeling under the worst kind of recession. He stated that the agreement was violation of Article 2-A of the Constitution and was not discussed in parliament, and as such, it was unconstitutional. The petitioner expressed the apprehension that the government would not be able to monitor the Afghan-bound goods and the process would only promote drugs and arms-smuggling to Pakistan. He said the transfer of illegal goods would give a free hand to terrorists to carry out their activities. He requested that the agreement should be declared against the national interest. staff report
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk