KHYBER: The five days long suspension of Pak-Afghan trade via Torkham border have caused Rs2.5 billion losses in terms of imports from Afghanistan, while another $15 million is lost in export business, claim official sources.

Customs officials posted to Torkham told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the average income on items imported from Afghanistan as custom duties was Rs540 million on a daily basis, while they would also collect another $3 million as custom duties and other related charges from Pakistan’s export items.

They said that the five-day losses were a huge setback to the country’s fragile economy that direly needed money from import and export businesses.

The officials said Pakistan exported cement, tractors and other agricultural tools and machines along with fresh vegetables and fruits, especially oranges, coupled with fish and miscellaneous household items in large quantities during the current period of the year.

Customs clearing agents, transporters demonstrate at Torkham

They said the season of fresh fruits in Afghanistan ended just recently, while coal and soapstone along with some fresh vegetables were imported during the winter season.

Meanwhile, the situation on Torkham border was depressing on Wednesday as local traders and customs staff stayed away from their duties, while transporters suffered an “agonising” wait for trade resumption.

They feared more financial losses insisting the immediate trade resumption isn’t in sight.

“It’s very unfortunate that the issue is not treated as a priority by authorities. The mainstream political parties, too,

are observing a strange silence on this important national issue,” former president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Zahidullah Shinwari told Dawn.

He said the chief minister’s secretariat earlier asked them to wait for a response for a meeting with interior and trade ministers in Islamabad but no such call was received until late on Wednesday.

Mr Shinwari regretted that nobody was treating the suspension of Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan via Torkham with seriousness and sincerity, so the issue was lingering on with no immediate solution in sight of visa restriction imposed on Afghan transporters.

Also in the day, the local custom clearing agents and transporters demonstrated at the Torkham border demanding an immediate resumption of bilateral trade and permission for the stranded vehicles to cross the border.

They also called for “leniency” in the new visa policy and the issuance of on-the-spot “sticker visas” to the stranded transporters.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2024