LANDI KOAL, Nov 28: The political administration of Khyber Agency has ordered owners of Nato containers and oil tankers stranded at a terminal near the Torkham border to immediately take the vehicles outside the agency.

Landi Kotal’s assistant political agent Khalid Mumtaz Kundi said on Monday that Nato suppliers had been asked to leave the area because the vehicles presence at the border posed a security risk.

“We are already overburdened with vehicles carrying Pakistani export items and foreign goods imported under the Afghan Transit Trade Treaty to Afghanistan via the Torkham border and, therefore, ordered the Nato vehicles to leave Khyber Agency,” he said.

He said the suspension of Nato supplies was for an indefinite period and the administration would be unable to provide security to the vehicles for a long time.

President of Khyber Transporters Union Shakir Afridi confirmed that such an order had been issued and said that in view of threats of militant attacks the authorities should provide security truckers.

He said the union would abide by the decision taken by the government to suspend Nato supplies via the Khyber Pass.

On Sunday night, an under-construction house of the owner of an oil tanker providing fuel to Nato forces in Afghanistan was destroyed.

Officials said that saboteurs had planted a bomb near the house of Salim Khan in Kandu Khel which exploded at midnight.

Local people said militants had asked Mr Khan to stop supplies to Nato forces.

Three khasadar personnel and four civilians were injured when a device fitted in a vehicle exploded at a workshop in Landi Kotal bazaar on Monday.

Amjad Khan, line officer of the khasadar force, told Dawn that Subedar Samarqand had suffered serious injuries.

A prayer leader was killed and an Afghan national was injured when a mortar shell fell on a mosque in Akkakhel area of Bara tehsil.

Reuters adds: The main Pakistani association that delivers fuel to Nato forces in Afghanistan said it would not resume supplies anytime soon in protest against an air attack that killed 24 soldiers at the weekend.

Nawab Sher Afridi, general secretary of the All Pakistan Oil Tanker Owners Association, said the association would reconsider only if the government and the military accept an apology for the incident.