PESHAWAR, Nov 30: Imports from Afghanistan to Pakistan showed stability during the first four months of the current financial year despite crisis in the war-ravaged country, according to official sources.

“Revenue-wise the quantum of goods imported this time around appeared to be almost the same what had actually been raised during the first four months of the last financial year,” a Peshawar-based senior customs officer told Dawn here on Friday.

Goods imported to Pakistan, via the Torkham border town under normal trade between the two countries, fetched a sum of over Rs56m for Islamabad during the first four months of the current financial year showing a fractional improvement in comparison with the corresponding period of the last financial year.

During the first four months of the last financial year a total revenue of Rs55.9m had been raised involving a sum of Rs48m under the head of customs duty and an other amount of Rs7.5m on account of sales tax.

Whereas, out of the Rs56m raised this time around during the July-Oct 2001 period a sum of Rs51.6m was raised under the head of customs duty and Rs4.4m through sales tax on imports.

The stability, showed by imports from Afghanistan under normal trade between the two countries, has been attributed to the government of Pakistan’s decision of allowing transportation of food stuff and edible items from and to the war-ravaged country in the post-Sept 11 situation.

Resultantly, imports of grapes, pomegranates and other fresh fruits in addition to dry fruits maintained the level in line with the past, said the sources.

However, official sources told Dawn, that even the trade of food items, between the two countries, suffered a lot after Taliban withdrew from one province after another since Nov 9 when the first territorial gain was handed over to the Northern Alliance forces in the shape of city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

“In the absence of central authority in the post-Nov 9 situation, following the withdrawal of Taliban, the traders’ confidence got shattered to a greater extent rendering them to wait-and-see situation,” said the official sources.