PESHAWAR, March 25: Exports to Afghanistan via land routes of NWFP and Fata rose to more than Rs25 billion during the first seven months (July-Feb) of 2003-04, according to official sources.

The customs collectorate, Peshawar, recorded total exports of over Rs25 billion to Afghanistan from its different outlets including Torkham, Bakka Khel and Ghulam Khan checkposts. "It's an all-time high figure with exports to Afghanistan touching new heights at the end of every passing month," said an official source.

At the Torkham checkpost exports to Afghanistan stood at over Rs1 billion by the end of July and rose to over Rs2.4 billion by the end of August, to Rs3.7 billion by the end of September, to Rs5.1 billion by the end of October, to Rs5.9 billion by the end of November, to 7.3 billion by the end of December, to Rs10.2 billion by the end of January and to Rs12.3 billion by the end of February 2004.

Even the newly established checkpost at Ghulam Khan on the Pakistan-Afghanistan borders from the North Waziristan agency side substantial increase in exports had been recorded during the last couple of months, said the sources.

In all, exports to Afghanistan grew by 36 per cent in comparison with the exports recorded during the corresponding period of the last year at Rs9 billion.

Substantial increase has been recorded during January and February when, from the Torkham route, goods of the market value of Rs2.9 billion and Rs2.1 billion, respectively, were exported to Afghanistan.

The sources said that more than 100 trucks loaded with variety of goods were crossing over other side of the Torkham border town from Pakistan every day. "The Torkham border town has become a hub of greater economic activities as trucks loaded with different items start queuing up at dawn every day," said an official source.

The sources said that in view of the size of exports recorded during the July-February period via NWFP and Fata land routes the country was expected to end up with total exports of $1 billion to Afghanistan at the close of the current financial year.