PESHAWAR, May 3: Pakistan and Afghan transporters on Thursday threatened to continue their strike against illegal taxes and extortions inside Afghanistan.
“We began our strike on Friday last, but even after the passage of a week, the Afghan government made no contact. However, all Afghan and Pakistani transporters are determined to continue the strike until our demands are accepted,” Haji Abdur Rehman, president Afghan Transporters’ Union, told a press conference in Peshawar on Thursday.
Mr Rehman said the supply of goods to Kabul from Kandahar, Nangerhar, Khost and Mazar-i-Sharif had been suspended for the last seven days.
In Pakistan, trucks loaded with goods are reaching from the Karachi seaport to various parts of NWFP, but no onward movement is taking place, he said, adding that thousands of trucks and trailers are stranded in the province.
Mr Rehman complained that even though their protest had been peaceful, police were harassing them to call off their strike.
He called on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to immediately take steps to eliminate illegal taxes inside his country. He said that a truck had to pay between Rs25000-Rs30000 to Afghan authorities and commanders for a single trip to Kabul from Torkham.
He accused the Afghan commanders of corruption, holding up vehicles at gunpoint, extortion and imposing different types of levies on transporters.
“Transport workers are physically tortured whenever they refuse to meet the demands,” he said.
He called upon the Pakistani government to allow the movement of Afghan trucks towards Islamabad. Presently Afghan trucks can move only within the jurisdiction of Peshawar. He said the Pakistan government should also issue driving licenses to Afghan drivers.
