KHYBER: Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan via Torkham border has gradually resumed over the last few days, with truckers taking the difficult Shalman-Malagori route to reach Peshawar or cross into Afghanistan.

The bilateral trade had come to an abrupt halt on August 21 when hundreds of Kukikhel tribesmen blocked the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway in Bhagiyarree area demanding an immediate return of over 6,000 remaining displaced families of their tribe to Rajgal and adjoining areas in Tirah Valley.

Since then, the main road has been closed to heavy traffic. However, authorities have allowed other vehicles to use an unpaved dirt road, which runs parallel to the main road in a dry stream in Bhagiyarree.

Frustrated with the prolonged road closure, a number of truckers used the alternate Shalman-Malagori and Ali Masjid-Jabba routes to take the stranded goods, mostly perishable ones, to Peshawar.

Customs clearing agents protest new goods clearance policy

Not only are both routes difficult but they’re lengthy as well compared with the main Peshawar-Torkham Highway. Most of their portions are in bad shape, while some turns are dangerously narrow, which often causes loaded vehicles to overturn, according to drivers.

They told Dawn that with almost all vehicles stranded on both sides now cleared, fresh consignments of imported coal, soapstone, tomatoes and grapes had slowly started reaching Pakistan, with the Shalman-Malagori Road being taken by 30-40 vehicles at maximum as the artery was too dilapidated to bear more traffic load.

The drivers said that a similar number of vehicles were allowed to come in from Peshawar with export items for Afghanistan and they’d to negotiate the journey on the road to prevent traffic congestion or mishap.

They argued that they had stopped plying the Ali Masjid-Jabba Road as residents of Jabba area near Jamrud demanded money for “providing them with the so-called safe passage.”

The drivers, however, acknowledged the good and friendly behaviour of Shalman and Malagori residents, who, they said, resisted pressure from Kukikhels to block the road to heavy traffic.

Earlier, customs officials at Torkham said that the suspension of Pak-Afghan trade caused them losses to the tune of $2.5 million on a daily basis in terms of export suspension, while another Rs550 million was lost every day due to a halt of imports from Afghanistan.

They said that the recent trade resumption was very small compared to the volume of bilateral trade prior to the start of Kukikhel protest, but it was encouraging to see that resume.

The officials said the development would ease the misery of both traders and transporters, who incurred heavy losses in initial days of the road closure.

Immigration officials at Torkham said though the main border crossing remained open all those days, the pedestrian movement slightly declined due to road hardships between Peshawar and Torkham.

They said that on average, around 3,000 people crossed the border on both sides daily.

Meanwhile, customs clearing agents held a protest demonstration on Monday against the new “Gate-in Policy” of goods clearance at the Machni checkpost instead of the main Torkham customs terminal.

Holding black flags, they said that they won’t agree to goods clearance without electronic scanning and vehicle weighing.

The clearing agents also insisted that Machni was not part of the main Torkham terminal.

The warned that if the old procedure wasn’t restored, they would block goods clearance.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2024