KHYBER: The government has devised a plan to issue temporary admission document (TAD) to Afghan transporters at Torkham border to facilitate speedy bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Officials at Torkham said that TAD would be issued to Afghan transporters without legal travel documents with a latest photo of the person concerned affixed to the new document for cross-border movement.

They said TAD would be considered as a substitute for the passport of the Afghan transporters till they were able to acquire their actual national travel document.

TAD would enable drivers and their cleaners to enter Pakistan without visa as they were earlier banned from crossing the border for not possessing legal travel documents, officials said.

They said in the initial stage, all transporters and their vehicles would be registered while the registered documents would then be sent to embassies of both the neighbouring countries for their respective verification.

“The TAD will be issued only after the registration of all the concerned transporters and their verification after which the new arrangement for their cross border movement will be started,” they added.

Officials believe that the new system will not only help in easing crossing of border for the Afghan transporters but it will also help in boosting bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan besides encouraging businessmen from both sides for further investment.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2024