PESHAWAR: Afghanistan has expressed concern over disruption of trade routes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following blockade of Nato supplies in Peshawar, Kohat, Dera Ismail Khan, Swabi and Charsadda districts by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

At a meeting with Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul, the Afghan authorities conveyed their concern over disruption of trade between the two countries caused by the blockade, officials said on Monday.

Sources in the Federal Board of Revenue told Dawn that the Afghan commerce ministry had taken up the matter with Pakistani ambassador to Kabul.

An FBR official said the Pakistani embassy in Kabul called the Peshawar Customs Collectorate on Monday for information about the situation on trade routes for a meeting of the ambassador with the Afghan commerce minister.

He said the disruption was hurting the multi-billion dollar trade with Afghanistan. “It is a matter of Pakistan’s credibility and its obligations to the international community.”

He said Afghan markets depended on goods carried under the Afghan transit trade and bilateral trade agreements.

Transportation of goods to Afghanistan from Karachi via Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had resumed only a day ago after remaining suspended for over a week because of a strike observed by transporters.

“About 1,000 trucks carrying regular trade items and 150 trailers carrying Nato supplies are on way from Karachi to Peshawar for onward journey to Afghanistan,” said an official.

Because of the protests, the Nato trucks on way to Peshawar from Karachi had discontinued their journey, stopping at different places in Sindh and Punjab, he said.“The trucks that have not yet entered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have gone off the road because the protesters blocked all trucks heading to Afghanistan on Sunday,” the official said.Some trucks, he said, were loaded with military vehicles meant for the Afghan National Army.