QUETTA, Oct 18: Cargo movement under Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) through inland customs check post at Chaman has come to a complete halt after Pakistan Railways stopped Quetta-Chaman service.

The Railways has stopped this service following a violent demonstration by the Afghan refugees on October 8, which damaged Kuchlak railway station, 25 km from Quetta. The protectors also burned down all the record at the station.

The Railways have now held up 235 wagons loaded with ATT import cargo at Quetta on the plea that 128-km-long railway track from Quetta to Chaman has become unsafe. This has resulted in blocking up of millions of rupees of Afghan traders and their Pakistani partners.

Following a vigorous drive by the two chambers—Balochistan Chamber at Quetta and Chaman Chamber—Railways has agreed to release ATT import cargo to the traders at Quetta. The traders, however, do not agree as they would have to incur transportation charges of this cargo from Quetta to Chaman. “If railway track from Quetta to Chaman is unsafe than how can cargo transportation through trucks be safe,” one of the importers raised this question in the meeting held early this week between the officials of Railways, customs and business representatives.

Railway officials say that they have stopped all services on Quetta-Chaman sector that include daily normal passenger service and a freight service when substantial amount of business is booked.

Traders say that more than 170 wagons out of 235 wagons carry sugar for Afghanistan. Other wagons are loaded with diesel-run power generators and a variety of other items. “It is not only the additional transportation charges that is inhibiting Afghan traders to get their consignments released in Quetta,” a local trader pointed out.

Normally, bulk of the import items under ATT find their way back in Pakistan after having been cleared by customs and transported to Afghanistan. Release of this consignment at Quetta should have been godsend for many. “But there is a sugar glut in Pakistan,” he explained.

Afghan sugar importers are uncertain on future developments after reports that the US air raids are now targeting Taliban forces on the front line. The Northern Alliance is also advancing towards Mazar Sharif and there are troubles at Herat. Transportation of sugar and other imported goods to hinterland in Afghanistan is now a big question mark that has made the entire ATT future uncertain for the time being.

An indicator of this uncertainty is manifested in fluctuating exchange value of Afghani. For last two days, Afghani value has again gone down to 1000 for one Pakistan rupee. Traders say that it had climbed to 800 Afghanis for a rupee a few days ago.

Since the signing of transit trade facilities with Afghanistan in 1965 ATT has always remained an issue for the Pakistan industry. It has been a single largest source of smuggling, which has given a crippling blow to domestic industry.

A glance on the ATT list during last few years show that Afghan traders have been importing razors and shaving blades. Under Taliban rule adult men are not allowed to shave, and, obviously, all razors and shaving blades imported under ATT were routed back to Pakistan.

In a recent notification, Pakistan government has banned import of razors and shaving blades under ATT and six other items. They are tape recorders, dinner sets and water glass sets, telephone instruments, juicers and blenders, video cassettes, VCRs and VCPs. Overall in last four or five years Pakistan government has taken out 24 items from the ATT import list. These included cigarettes, cigars, tyres and tubes, refrigerators, air conditioners, televisions, soaps and shampoo, auto parts and many other items that were constantly flooding Pakistan’s market and has damaged the domestic industry.

In the current fiscal year Afghan traders imported 42 varieties of items worth more than Rs265 million in single month of July. The source of imports are China, UAE, Vietnam, Japan, India, Germany, Hong Kong and other countries.

Under international conventions all sea port countries are bound to offer transit facilities to their immediate neighbour land-locked countries. But port countries have a right to take adequate measures to safeguard their domestic industry. It was only in last few years that Pakistan has invoked these measures under pressure of domestic industry.