LANDI KOTAL: The authorities at Torkham border permitted over 100 vehicles, loaded with coal imported from Afghanistan, to proceed to their respective destinations after a protest demonstration by the transporters.

Holding black flags and chanting slogans for release of their vehicles, the transporters held a protest demonstration at the National Logistic Cell terminal.

Noor Mohammad, a spokesman for the agitating transporters, said that nearly 170 vehicles loaded with coal imported from Afghanistan were already cleared by Customs but were stranded at the Pakistan side of the border after all crossing points with Afghanistan were closed on February 17.

He said that there was no justification of detaining their vehicles as they had already crossed the border and had also done their clearance from Customs.

“We cannot leave our vehicles at the border unattended nor do we have proper place for stay as all the shops, offices and restaurants are closed owing to closure of border,” said Mr Noor.

He added that most of his co-workers had also exhausted all their money owing to prolonged closure of the border.

Responding quickly to the protest of transporters, the authorities in consultation with security officials granted permission to at least 128 vehicles to leave for their respective destinations in the country.

Officials at the border said that the prolonged stay of the vehicles in the prevailing situation was dangerous and transporters too were faced with numerous problems. They said that permission was granted to the already cleared vehicles.

The political administration and security officials, however, could not agree on allowing the vehicles loaded with Pakistani exports goods and foreign items, imported under Afghan Transit Trade Agreement, to proceed.

Sources said that political administration was willing to allow all the stranded vehicles, numbering about 400, to leave Torkham for their terminals in Peshawar to avoid any untoward incident. They said that security officials were not willing to send the vehicles back as such gesture would convey a negative message.

Meanwhile, senior vice president of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ziaul Haq Sarhadi also urged the government to open border crossings for all the vehicles loaded with export and ATTA goods.

Welcoming the opening of border for two days for ordinary Afghan and Pakistani nationals stranded on both sides, he said that the same facility should be provided to loaded vehicles stranded on both sides of the border.

Mr Sarhadi said that nearly three weeks closure of the border had inflicted losses to the tune of millions of rupees on both local and Afghan traders. He demanded of both the governments to devise business friendly policies to strengthen trade relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2017