January 03, 2008	Thursday	Zilhaj 23, 1428

PARACHINAR, Jan 2: Pakistan’s cross-border trade with Afghanistan via troubled Kurram tribal region has remained suspended over the past two months because of the continuing blockade of Thall-Parachinar road.

Traders and officials said that the Kurram tribal region, which enjoys a unique geography because of sharing boundaries with Afghanistan’s eastern, western and southern provinces, offered movement of goods at different points.

Regular trade, however, is allowed only through four custom stations situated in Teri Mingal, Kharlachi, Borki and Shahedan Dand areas.

These custom stations, which normally clear 120-140 truckloads of goods to and from Afghanistan daily, now present a deserted look because of the blocked of main Thall-Parachinar road which passes through the volatile Kurram region.

The two-month-long blockade of this vital trade route has brought to a halt all trade activities with Afghanistan through this region.

These trade activities are sole source of income for hundreds of who earn a living here by working on a daily wage basis.

However, these workers are unable to resume their work because movement of trucks has remained suspended since Nov 16 when sectarian clashes erupted in this bordering region.

Clashes have left some 300 people dead and over 500 injured besides causing a massive destruction to properties and markets in the Parachinar city and other parts of the area.

After the Torkham international border, Kurram is the second largest trade route with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs).

Afghanistan’s main imports via this tribal region include construction material, whereas Pakistan’s imports consist of fresh fruit, vegetables and scrap material which is used in local steel industry.

Apart from their demand in southern parts of the country, fresh fruits and vegetables coming from Afghanistan also meet requirements of local consumers. As the supply of these items from Afghanistan has remained suspended despite the passage of two months, prices of these goods have gone up significantly.