Pakistan exports to Sri Lanka have come to a grinding halt, the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Business Forum announced recently after days of anti-Muslim violence targeting Muslim businesses, homes and mosques.
"It is the Muslim community in Sri Lanka that imports Pakistani products and sells them there. They are partners of Pakistani exporters,” the Forum's chairperson, Aslam Pakhali told the Express Tribune.
"Their shops, super stores and godowns are being targeted. The goods exported from Pakistan have been unloaded at the Sri Lankan port, but the importers are not getting them cleared because of the deteriorating law and order situation there," he added.
"Rice and textile exports to Sri Lanka from Pakistan have stopped. Potato export has also reduced drastically."
"The loss to the Muslim community by now is estimated at $500 million and payments to the Pakistani exporters amounting of $30 million have been withheld.
“The goods, especially fruits and vegetables, in godowns are perishing, he said adding that Sri Lanka is a major importer of Pakistani rice and textile products, but the exports have come to a halt.
Pakhali said a delegation of the forum held a meeting with the Sri Lankan ambassador in Pakistan and emphasised that the Muslim community over there be protected.
The delegation condemned the terrorist activities in Sri Lanka and condoled the loss of precious lives over there.
They requested the Sri Lankan government to compensate for the losses inflicted upon the Muslim community and provide them with protection.
He said the exports would not resume till the law and order situation in Sri Lanka improved. “Pakistan will face difficulties in achieving the export target in the final months of this fiscal year,” he added.
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