LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), March 14: A rift between two groups of transporters over the collection of illegal octroi from trucks and trailers going to and from Afghanistan led to the blockade of the Peshawar-Torkham highway for several hours on Wednesday.

The main road remained closed for hours and rival groups damaged a number of trucks and trawlers by pelting stones on them when the drivers refused to pay the illegal tax. The two groups had set up two illegal checkpoints on the main road some time ago, charging Rs200 for every vehicle.

A majority of truck drivers complained that despite several complaints, the two illegal checkpoints had not been removed.

Rival groups of transporters accuse each other of unlawfully taking money from the truck drivers. Officials of the local administration said they had constituted a jirga of local elders and councillors to sort out differences between the two groups.

Meanwhile, authorities on the Torkham border arrested two Bangladeshi nationals for entering Pakistan illegally. Noor Alam and M. Saleem were intercepted by the Khasadar force when they were trying to enter Pakistan.