September 10, 2006	Sunday	Sha'aban 16, 1427

PESHAWAR, Sep 9: Goods worth Rs1.5 billion were transported to Afghanistan via Torkham border under the Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) during the first two months of the current financial year, according to officials.

Pace of ATT goods' delivery to Afghanistan, according to business circles, remained slow in August due to discontinuation of Pakistan railways' cargo train facility because of damage done to a railway bridge at Ran Pathani on July 30.

"Business activities at the Peshawar dry port experienced a major decline in August, causing huge financial losses to businessmen dealing in ATT goods," said an official at the customs extension of the Central Board of Revenue.

The business circles suffered losses because of transporting Afghanistan bound goods from Karachi to Peshawar on National Logistics Cell's trucks or through its bonded cargo carriers, which is comparatively costlier than the freight charged by Railways.

At present, said the officials, the Afghanistan bound cargo was being transported from Karachi to Peshawar by NLC.