KOHAT, March 15: Local exporters have demanded a transit route status for Teri Mengal in the Kurram Agency as an alternative following the closure of the facility in Ghulam Khan and Miran Shah due to continuing war between terrorists and government forces in North Waziristan Agency on the other side of the border.

A cement exporter, Daud Khan, told Dawn that the Kurram Agency was a safe and easy route through which trade had being going on quite smoothly with Afghanistan since 2000.

The Import and Export Association of Kurram Agency had also asked the federal government to fulfil its promise of providing transit trade facility through Teri Mengal to facilitate the business community.

The office bearers of the association said that due to increase in trade with Afghanistan the government had provided transit facility through Bannu and Miramshah in the south of the North West Frontier Province in addition to Torkham.

They said that the government should immediately provide transit facility at Teri Mengal.