Traders and transporters stage protest against border closure

LANDIKOTAL: The traders, transporters and Customs clearing agents on Wednesday staged a protest at Torkham to register anger at the closure of the key border crossing for the last five days.

The Torkham border was shut on Saturday after the government implemented the visa condition for cargo vehicles drivers and their helpers.The protesters, carrying placards and chanting slogans, marched through the Torkham Bazaar to demand the reopening of the border.

Speaking on the occasion, Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association Chairman Mirajuddin Shinwari said both the Pakistan and Afghan governments should address the problems of the citizens and relax the border for the trade activities.

He said hundreds of cargo vehicles had been stranded on both sides of the highway that was causing huge losses to the traders from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“Edibles worth tens of millions of rupees have gone rotten due to the closure of the border. The taxes collected daily from export and import of goods at Torkham is around Rs150 million,” said Mirajuddin.

He said Pakistan should relax the visa conditions for truckers for a smooth trade with Afghanistan.Anti-trade border policies were being pursued, he said, adding the traders and business communities rejected the hard rules that hampered the trade.

It may be mentioned here that talks have been held recently to find a solution to the issue but these were not fruitful.The Taliban-led Afghan government has threatened to permanently shut the Torkham and Kharlachi border points with Pakistan if a mutually agreed solution was not reached on issues including the visa condition.

Meanwhile, a leader of the Businessman Forum, Ilyas Ahmad Bilour, expressed grave concern over the border closure. He said exporters were facing huge financial losses and damage to items-loaded by a large number of trucks that had been stuck at the Torkham border.

He said government, relevant institutions in consultation with Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Fuad Ishaq should resolve the issue.Bilour said the country’ economy had been negatively impacted owing to the closure of Pak-Afghan border.

Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and Pakistan Border Trade Council Chairman Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi and Shakeel Waheedullah Khan urged both Pakistan and Afghanistan to sit together to find an amicable solution to the row.

They expressed concern over the closure of the Torkham border crossing for the last five days, pointing out that it had caused huge losses to the traders and revenue cut to the exchequer.The trade leaders suggested that the visa should be issued to the cargo vehicles drivers and helpers at the border so that the trade activities could be revived and people provided the opportunities to earn a living.

Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi said that the chamber planned to meet the caretaker prime minister, trade minister and other relevant officials after consulting the business community members to take up these issues to have them resolved.