KHYBER: With officials of Pakistan and Afghanistan failing to reach an understanding regarding the visa restrictions on transporters of both countries, bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries via the Torkham border remained suspended for a second consecutive day on Sunday.

Sources at Torkham told Dawn that no headway was made in a meeting held between the border officials of the two countries late on Saturday evening.

They, however, agreed to convey the messages from each side to their respective high authorities.

Not a single vehicle has been allowed to cross the border into Afghanistan or enter Pakistan since Saturday, though pedestrian movement was not restricted, sources said.

Customs clearing agents demand relaxation in visa restrictions

It was also learnt from local fruit dealers that the customs officials at Torkham ‘advised’ them to take their merchandise back to Peshawar for safe storage as there was no immediate solution in sight of the visa issue.

On Saturday, Pakistan imposed visa restrictions on all those Afghan drivers and their helpers who were without legal travel documents and were barred from entering Pakistan.

The Afghan Taliban authorities deputed on their side of the Torkham border, also reciprocated in the same vein by refusing entry to all the Pakistani transporters into their country.

Besides, bilateral trade at Kharlaachi border crossing in Kurram came to a standstill after the Afghan authorities refused Pakistani drivers entry into their country at Kharlaachi on Sunday morning, some local importers at Torkham informed Dawn.

Demanding relaxation in visa restrictions for Afghan transporters, the Torkham Custom Clearing Agents Association has said the restrictions incurred financial losses to local traders and transporters.

President of the association Aimal Shinwari said that fruit and vegetable exporters were at risk of inflicting huge loses as the edible items were prone to perish if not delivered on time.

He said that the national exchequer, too, was losing millions of dollars on a daily basis after the customs clearance of both the import and export items was completely stopped due to the new visa restrictions.

The sudden imposition of the restrictions caused traffic congestion at the border point on both sides, as the majority of drivers and their assistants could not present valid travel documents.

Sabir Khan, a local customs clearing agent, said that with fruit imp­orts from Afghanistan com­ing to an end due to winter, the export of Pak­i­s­tani goods had incr­eased, leading to a traffic rush from the Pakistan side.

He mentioned that Afg­han border authorities had also stopped some Pak­is­tani drivers from entering Afghanistan after the sudden implementation of visa restrictions on Afghan dri­vers by the Pakistan government.

Mr Khan further stated that hundreds of trailers and containers loaded with Pakistani export goods, including cement, tractors, other agricultural tools, vegetables, oranges, and miscellaneous items, were stranded on the Pakistan side, causing hardships for the transporters.

It was also learnt that customs and security officials were in constant touch with high-ups in Islamabad for the early settlement of the visa issue for Afghan transporters.

Customs officials emphasised that with exports from Pakistan flowing at a high rate, they could not afford any delay in the customs clearance of goods already arrived at the Torkham border.

Published in Dawn, January 15th, 2024