KHYBER: Fruits and vegetables worth millions of rupees imported from Afghanistan started to decay on Friday as the closure of the key border road by Kukikhel protesters continued for the third consecutive day.

Authorities have yet to respond to the protesters’ demand for immediate return of the internally displaced persons to their homes in the region.

Transporters in Torkham and Landi Kotal told Dawn that over 500 vehicles with multiple import items, mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, had been stranded on the main road in Landi Kotal for third days.

They said watermelons, grapes, tomatoes and cucumbers had started rotting, while both transporters and traders feared losses of millions of rupees due to the road closure, whose end wasn’t in sight.

Kukikhel protesters to meet officials over issue of IDPs return

Qazi Nazeem Gul, an importer and custom clearing agent at Torkham, told Dawn that while Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan was already hit hard by the temporary admission document (TAD) condition for transporters to cross border, the road closure by Kukikhel tribesmen had added to the businessmen’s misery.

He demanded both Kukikhels and the government first allow the vehicles, which had already entered Pakistan, to proceed to their destinations and then hold dialogue for the honourable and quick return of the remaining Kukikhel IDPs to their homes.

Also, dealers of vegetables, fruits, poultry and medicines in Landi Kotal have complained about the continued closure of Peshawar-Torkham Highway and insisted that it had adversely affected supply of the edibles and medicines to Landi Kotal.

Haji Yaseen, a poultry dealer, told Dawn that hundreds of chickens had suffocated during their transportation through the Peshawar-Malagori-Landi Kotal route due to the blockade of the main road.

He said the delivery of chicken and fruits and vegetables in Landi Kotal bazaar was delayed, while the number of vehicles carrying those commodities had considerably decreased.

“The prices of chicken, fruits and vegetables are gone up due to their shortages on the local market,” he said.

Samiullah Khan, a dealer at the medicine market adjacent to the district headquarters hospital, told Dawn that though the prices of all drugs were unchanged, their supply was hampered due the three closure of the road.

He said a number of doctors coming in from Peshawar daily had stopped coming to the hospital, while the number of patients had also dropped due to the roadblock.

The residents complained that the parking of hundreds of loaded and empty vehicles on the main road caused traffic congestion, while the movement of the local transport vehicles had also badly affected.

Meanwhile, Zakhakhel and Shinwari elders along with elected councillors have decided to meet the organisers of the Kukikhel protest at Bhagiyarree checkpost today (Saturday).

They urged protesters to relax roadblock for both heavy and light vehicles to clear the backlog of stranded vehicles, and restore the supply of essential goods to Landi Kotal and Sultankhel markets.

Sources at the protest camp said they had formed a six-member committee to hold talks with government representatives for an early return of the remaining displaced families.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2024