LANDI KOTAL: The number of Afghan nationals visiting Pakistan with valid travel documents by the Torkham border has dropped by almost 20 per cent since Pakistan closed its consulate in Jalalabad on August 31, immigration officials said.

The officials said the Afghan nationals wanting to visit Pakistan currently traveled to Kabul to get Pakistan visa from Pakistan Embassy.

The Afghan nationals coming to Pakistan via Torkham border told Dawn that the closure of Jalalabad consulate by Pakistan on August 31 had also prolonged the visa process and increased travel expenses. They said it took them three to four more days than usual to get Pakistani visa from the country’s embassy in Kabul, while the Jalalabad consulate used to issue visa within three days.

Pakistan had closed its consulate in Jalalabad to protest the Nangarhar governor’s interference in its affairs and demolition of one of its boundary walls.

Pakistani immigration officials at Torkham told Dawn that prior to the closure of Jalalabad consulate, around 5,000 Afghan national used to enter Pakistan daily but the number later dropped by almost 20 per cent over visa problems and higher travel expenses. The Jalalabad consulate’s closure has also adversely affected the Pak-Afghan trade.

“Kabul does not fall on the trade route of most truck drivers and thus they had either abandoned their profession or they spent extra time and money on getting their passports stamped with Pakistani visa from Kabul embassy,” Afghan truck driver Sherin Jan said.

Local traders, mostly Shinwaris and Afridis, also complained about ‘rough’ treatment by Afghan authorities on their side of the Torkham border after the August 31 consulate closure.

Jamshed Khan, an importer of Afghan foods, said Afghan authorities refused them to enter Afghanistan without legal travel documents, which they would not demand prior to the consulate’s closure.

“We’re made to wait for hours at the border and are allowed to move on only on the payment of bribe,” he said.

The trader said the ‘tough’ conduct of local traders had also resulted in heated exchanges with Afghan officials and that the local traders were also maltreated at times.

Meanwhile, the first consignment of four trucks taking 280 tons of the total 40,000 tons wheat gifted by Pakistan to Afghanistan crossed over the Torkham on Saturday.

The gift was announced by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi during visit to Kabul before the general elections. A ceremony was held at Torkham border, where Pakistan officials handed over the first consignment to their Afghan counterparts.

Officials said the gift was announced for the drought-affected people of Afghanistan as a goodwill gesture by the government of Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2018