KHYBER: A massive traffic jam was seen on the road leading to Torkham border on Saturday after the opening of the border crossing to pedestrians.

The container-mounted trailers and cargo trucks bound for Afghanistan via the Torkham border defied traffic rules by taking to both roads on the one-way carriageway to the border crossing.

The taxis booked by Afghan nationals bound for own country and Pakistanis returning from Afghanistan added to traffic congestion.

The local authorities allowed scores of goods vehicles, which were stranded on the road, to proceed to Afghanistan early on Saturday.

Pedestrians from both sides of the border covered several kilometers on foot due to the snarl-up and the consequent slow movement of both heavy and light vehicles.

Mehrab Afridi, a local journalist, told Dawn that people and transporters had to regulate traffic by themselves in the absence of traffic sergeants.

He said he saw both Pakistani and Afghan men and women carry luggage along with infants on foot to and from the border after disembarking from taxis due to slow-moving traffic.

Things remained unchanged until late on Saturday as vehicles loaded with goods continued to proceed to the border in large numbers. The vehicles had been stranded on the road for several days.

TWO KILLED: Two people, including a woman, were killed in separate incidents in Landi Kotal tehsil here on Saturday.

Police said Kamran, an Afghan refugee, was electrocuted in Malik Darya Khan village of Zakhakhel area.

They also said the wife of resident Fazal Rahim lost life after falling off a cliff in Loe Shalman area while collecting firewood.

Meanwhile, two trucks were badly damaged in Shaheed Maina area of Jamrud tehsil after a marble mine caved in.

Also, a woman was run over and injured by a speeding rickshaw in Jamrud Bazaar.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2020