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| September 29, 2005 | Thursday | Sha'aban 24, 1426 |
Afghan fruit traders allege ‘extortion’
PESHAWAR, Sept 28: The Afghan authorities have complained to their counterparts in Islamabad about ‘extortion’ by political and security forces of Afghan fruit traders at check-posts along the Jamrud Road.
Sources said that the Afghan ministry of commerce had lodged a complaint with Pakistan that Afghan traders had to pay thousands of rupees per truck to the Pakistan government officials for transportation of fruits from Torkham border point to Peshawar.
According to an official letter sent by the charge d’ affairs in Kabul to the ministry of foreign affairs, Islamabad said that the political authorities at Torkham check-post charged Rs3,500 per truck.
However, the letter quoted Afghan officials as saying: “Fruit traders have to pay Rs6,000 to the customs clearing authorities at Torkham, Rs3,500 to the political agent Khyber Agency, Rs800 to security forces at Shagai Fort, Rs2,200 to the authorities in Peshawar and Rs500 to the military police per truck.”
Apart from that, Afghan traders are said to pay about Rs15,000 to the agents and officials at various points for each truck, carrying fruit to India via Wagah border.
“The extortion by Pakistani officials is discouraging Afghan traders and Pakistan should take appropriate action to solve the problem,” says the letter.
Pakistan imports melons, grapes and other fruits from Afghanistan via Torkham and other routes.
Sources said that Kabul had also pointed out that Afghan truckers were not allowed to go up to the Indian border and were required to off-load their cargo and carry it by hand across half a kilometre stretch of no-man’s land and then reload it on trucks on the other side of the border.
The Afghan ministry of commerce has asked Islamabad to allow vehicles carrying perishable items to go up to the Indian border.
These sources said that on the request of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Islamabad had agreed to do away with the customs duties levied on Afghan fruits and vegetables but it had yet to fulfil the commitment.
A spokesman for the Fruit Merchants Organization said that while transported fruit bought in Kabul to Peshawar, the political managers and their henchmen manning the tribal area forcibly took money from them. He added that they paid Rs40,000 for a caravan of 50 trucks to the Khasadar force along the Jamrud road.
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