U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen met with prominent Pakistani-American Democratic leader Tahir Javed in Houston, where discussions focused on promoting Pakistan-U.S. economic relations and development opportunities in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
According to Tahir Javed, Senator Van Hollen expressed his firm commitment to playing his role in promoting economic relations between Pakistan and the United States.
During the meeting, Javed requested that the senator reintroduce legislation aimed at establishing Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in war-affected areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Senator Van Hollen assured him that he would reintroduce the long-standing Pakistan-Afghanistan Economic Development Act in the U.S. Senate.
The legislation was previously introduced in the Senate in 2021 by Senators Chris Van Hollen, Todd Young and Maria Cantwell. It proposed establishing Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s border regions and allowing certain textile and apparel products from designated zones to enter the United States duty-free.
Van Hollen had also authored similar ROZ legislation while serving in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to his Senate office.
The proposed legislation was designed to promote economic activity and development in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region through trade opportunities and duty-free access for eligible products.
