KHYBER: Torkham Custom Clearing Agents Association has threatened to suspend clearance of all types of trade goods to Afghanistan if government fails to release eight of their arrested colleagues.

Addressing a news conference at Landi Kotal Press Club on Tuesday, president of the association Mujeebullah Shinwari said that security agencies picked up 11 of their colleagues on December 27 for investigation without fulfilling any legal procedure for registering FIR against them.

He said that the association was given an assurance by relevant officials that all the arrested men, mostly dealing in currency exchange business at Torkham border, would be set free after completion of necessary investigations about the mode of their currency transactions. However, only three of them were released, he added.

Flanked by his cabinet members and family members of the arrested men, Mr Shinwari said that the association held extensive dialogue with officials of the security agency and explained to them that none of the arrested men was involved in any illegal trading activity.

He said that the role of clearing agent was purely service provision and all the custom clearing agents including the arrested ones were working according to standard operating procedures (SOPs) of Federal Board of Revenue.

He said that members of the association were duty bound to strictly abide by the SOPs of FBR and thus they declared all money transactions at the border point which was a source of revenue generation for national exchequer.

“Money declaration is very much legal and it is done as per FBR rules. It is also beneficial for bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” he said.

Terming the detention of his colleagues an illegal and inhuman act, he warned of a road blockade and suspension of clearance of all trade goods if the remaining eight arrested men were not released forthwith.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2025