LANDI KOTAL: The customs clearing agents, traders and transporters have welcomed the relaxations announced by the government for improvement of bilateral trade with Afghanistan along with lifting of ban on import of livestock from Afghanistan via Torkham border.

Talking to this correspondent, Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association president Hayatullah Shinwari said that all the members of his association were happy over the decision of keeping custom offices open round the clock for the whole week.

He said that the move would help in clearing all the backlog of exports to Afghanistan awaiting clearance for many weeks due to flaws and unnecessary delays in the custom clearance of export items to Afghanistan.

Mr Shinwari said that speedy clearance of goods to and from Afghanistan would significantly increase bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries. “Unfortunately, the government had been ignoring our repeated calls for removing bottlenecks in exports to Afghanistan which had dropped to a mere $800 million last year,” he lamented.

He hoped that the government would take steps for accelerating business with Afghanistan and providing alternative sources of income to the local residents who had been affected by the new border management policy.

Inspector General of Frontier Corps Major General Waseem Ashraf on Thursday said during a meeting with local elders and traders that a gradual permission would be granted to handcart pushers for cross-border trade on a limited scale to cover up for the loss of their occupations during last two years.

The livestock dealers, meanwhile, welcomed the lifting of ban on import of sheep and goats from Afghanistan. The ban was imposed in September last year after local livestock dealers refused to pay high taxes on animal import via Torkham border.

Islam Zeb, a restaurant owner in Landi Kotal, told this scribe that the move would help in bringing down the prices of mutton.

SUSPECT DIES: A suspected militant died of illness at a detention centre in army camp, Landi Kotal, on Friday.

Officials said that Mohammad Shafiq, 26, was admitted to military hospital inside the army camp after he was diagnosed with tuberculosis some time back. His body was handed over to his relatives on Friday after he died of the serious illness.

Shafiq, a resident of Jamrud, was arrested about three years ago for his alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

Published in Dawn, May 12th, 2018