Hundreds of trucks stranded at Torkham

Published February 4, 2020
Afghan govt reciprocates Pakistan's decision to shut border down. — Dawn/File
Afghan govt reciprocates Pakistan's decision to shut border down. — Dawn/File

LANDI KOTAL: Hundreds of trucks loaded with trade goods have got stranded at the Pakistan side of the Torkham border as Afghan authorities have refused them entry without route permit.

Sources said that the condition was set about three days back by the Afghan border authorities and since then nearly a thousand vehicles with Pakistani registration and carrying multiple merchandise to Afghanistan could not cross the border as they did not possess route permit for entry to Afghanistan.

Pakistani transporters at the border said that the Afghan government had imposed the restriction in response to a similar condition the Pakistani authorities had imposed for all Afghan drivers. They said the Afghan authorities had intimated to them the new rule for entry to their country a few months back but had to relax the rules for some time upon the request of Pakistani transporters.

Azeemullah Shinwari, a local transporter, said Pakistan embassy in Kabul and consulate in Jalalabad issued route permits to Afghan transporters for their unhindered entry to Pakistan via the Torkham border.

He demanded of the Pakistani authorities to negotiate the matter with their Afghan counterparts for giving them some time as majority of the Pakistani drivers operated between the two countries without having the required route permit.

Local officials at the border said they were in constant touch both with their own higher authorities and the Afghan officials for an early resolution to the problem.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2020

Opinion

Editorial

The Peca problem
Updated 15 Feb, 2025

The Peca problem

The fight for fundamental freedoms is not the media’s alone, but one that concerns every citizen.
Solar panels scam
15 Feb, 2025

Solar panels scam

THE scam involving over-invoicing to the tune of more than Rs69bn in the import of solar panels raises many ...
Miners in danger
15 Feb, 2025

Miners in danger

YESTERDAY’S devastating terrorist attack in Harnai, which killed at least 11 coal miners and injured seven others,...
Dangerous times
Updated 14 Feb, 2025

Dangerous times

Pakistan accounted for six journalist killings in 2024, of which three were deliberately murdered, according to the CPJ.
Difficult target
14 Feb, 2025

Difficult target

A ONE-two punch delivered by an unforeseen, sharp dip in inflation and an extremely slim base of taxpayers is...
Amazing show
14 Feb, 2025

Amazing show

PAKISTAN’S ability to turn it up at the flick of a switch remains uninhibited. The latest show came in...