LANDI KOTAL: A coordination meeting between security and administrative officials at Torkham border on Tuesday decided to increase the number of trucks going to Afghanistan along with improving protective measures against Covid-19 at the border crossing.

Sector Commander Brig Shaukat Rana presided over the meeting, which was also attended by Deputy Commissioner Mehmud Aslam Wazir, Commandant Khyber Rifles Col Bilal, DPO Mohammad Iqbal and officials of customs and NLC and representatives of transporters.

The meeting directed the staff members of all the government departments at Torkham terminal to ensure improved protective measures against the coronavirus pandemic by disinfecting the terminal on weekly basis, preferably on Sundays.

Taking stock of the transporters’ repeated complaints about slow process of custom clearance of trade goods to Afghanistan, the meeting decided to increase the number of loaded vehicles from 100 to 150 on daily basis.

The DPO was directed to manage and supervise route of loaded trucks leading to Afghanistan via Peshawar-Torkham Highway. The transporters were directed to use Frontier Road instead of Karakhano Market Road to curtail traffic mess on the main road.

The meeting also decided to allow stranded Pakistanis in Afghanistan to come back and let the stranded Afghans in Pakistan to leave for their country simultaneously on every Saturday.

The meeting decided to immediately clear rubble accumulated on the road leading to the border crossing due to recent rains. The district administration was asked to repair the road between Nadra Chowk near border crossing to nearby Bacha Maina for smooth flow of heavy traffic.

Published in Dawn, May 13th, 2020