KHYBER: Customs authorities have granted a temporary waiver to import of coal and soapstone from Afghanistan without a country-of-origin certificate till June end.

The temporary concession was granted during a meeting of the chief collector customs and representatives of Torkham customs clearing agents and coal importers in Peshawar on Friday, sources told Dawn.

Mujeebullah Shinwari, president Torkham customs clearing agents’ association, told Dawn that customs authorities agreed to the temporary waiver for import of coal and soapstone from Afghanistan till June 30 on the condition that the importers would furnish an undertaking at the time of customs clearance, while declaring on personal guarantee that the mineral was imported from Afghanistan.

He said that production of a country-of-origin certificate would be mandatory after the expiry of June 30 deadline after which the said document would be attached to the goods declaration (GD) of the import of both Afghan origin minerals.

Customs authorities refused to clear the coal and soapstone vehicles brought from Afghanistan on June 4 after the imposition of the condition of country-of-origin certificate during customs clearance.

Importers and customs clearing agents said that over 1,600 vehicles loaded with coal and soapstone got stranded on the Afghan side of Torkham, Ghulam Khan and Kharlaachi borders since the imposition of new condition.

Meanwhile, border forces at Torkham allowed the parents of an ailing Afghan child, who was under treatment at a Peshawar hospital, to cross over into Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.

Sources at Torkham said that an Afghan child was admitted to the Hayatabad Medical Complex for a heart-related ailment.

They said that as the condition of the Afghan child deteriorated on Friday, his parents pleaded the border guards for crossing the border without legal travel documents as they wanted to be by the side of their child.

Border officials said that the Afghan couple was allowed to proceed to Peshawar after they inquired about the admission of the child in Peshawar hospital. Both the parents and the civil society activists lauded the Pakistani border guards for their humanitarian gesture.

Pakistan has strictly imposed One-Document policy at all its border points with Afghanistan and is not allowing any Afghan to come here without visa, except in exceptional cases.

Published in Dawn, June 14th, 2025