LANDI KOTAL: Commuters faced great hardships when Peshawar-Torkham Highway was closed to traffic for more than three hours on Thursday during visit of a delegation of Afghan journalists to Landi Kotal.

Ironically, the Afghan journalists’ delegation was flown to army camp in Landi Kotal in helicopters while security personnel closed all the land routes leading to Landi Kotal and Torkhum for ‘security reasons’.

Vehicular traffic was abruptly stopped at a number of locations that caused inconvenience to passengers and transporters, who remained stranded for over three hours with having no clue as to why the road was closed.

Women, children and some patients were badly affected by the unannounced road closure, which many drivers and local residents termed uncalled for as the visitors opted for aerial route instead of the main road linking Peshawar with Landi Kotal and Torkham.

Road was closed to traffic during visit of Afghan journalists

Local FC officials later circulated a short statement to the media, saying the visiting Afghan delegation was given a briefing on the historic importance of Khyber Pass and sacrifices made by security forces against terrorists.

“The delegation also visited Michni checkpost and had lunch at Khyber Rifles Mess,” the statement said. It added that members of the delegation asked questions about border management and efforts to stop infiltration of terrorists.

Meanwhile, the FC on Thursday allegedly stopped some loaded vehicles at Takhta Beg checkpost in Jamrud despite the fact that the drivers possessed Pakistani passports.

The transporters alleged that they were not allowed to proceed to Torkham by the FC posted at Takhta Beg checkposts.

They said that they possessed receipt of the passport they had applied for but had in the meantime hired drivers having passports as they had already incurred huge losses owing to closure of border.

The FC officials, when contacted, said that they would look into the matter and ‘release’ the impounded vehicle if no anomaly was found.

They, however, said that FC personnel posted at Torkham border stopped some Afghan drivers from bringing into the country the trucks of Pakistani owners, who were without passports.

Officials said that some Afghan passport holder drivers after crossing into Pakistan went back and tried to bring trucks of Pakistani drivers, who were without a passport or route permit.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2017