PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Haji Mohammad Afzal has complained the Afghan authorities charge every Pakistani trucker 5,000 Afghanis and every Afghani trucker 2,500 Afghanis on entry to Afghanistan via Torkham, and demanded the immediate withdrawal of that fee.

He conveyed the complaint to Afghan commercial attaché in Peshawar Mirwais Yousufzai during the latter’s visit to the SCCI premises here the other day.

Afghan officials, SCCI senior vice president Mohammad Iqbal, executive committee members including Imran Sawal, Naumanul Hq, Suhail Rauf, Rashid Iqbal Siddiqui, Sadar Gul and Ihsan Mohmand and Afghan businessman Rasool Khan were present on the occasion.

According to a statement, the SCCI president informed visitors that the ‘excessive’ trucker fee charged by Afghan authorities had created hardships for transporters.

He said both Islamabad and Kabul should address such issues to keep bilateral business from possible damage.

Mr. Afzal said both the governments should issue passports and multiple visas to transporters and renew all documents free of charge to improve bilateral business.

He said business activities in the region had been adversely affected by terrorism and if the two countries continued with ‘harsh attitude’ towards transporters, the bilateral economic activity would further suffer.

The envoy told the SCCI chief that he would help address the reservations of Pakistani businessmen and transporters on Afghanistan entry fee and other matters.

He however complained that Afghan truckers were ill-treated in Pakistan.

The envoy insisted the National Logistic Cell personnel charged every Afghan trucker Rs2,500 in Jamrud and Rs2,000 on Ring Road ‘without reason’.

The SCCI president said the chamber would take up those issues with the relevant Pakistani authorities for corrective measures.

He said though the condition of passport and visa for the stay of Afghan nationals in the country was issued by Pakistani authorities for security reasons, the SCCI would try to get all reservations about it addressed.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2016