LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), March 15: Traffic on the main Peshawar-Torkhum remained suspended for about eight hours on Thursday as transporters’ groups failed to resolve their dispute over extortion of money.

Two transporters groups have set up separate illegal check-posts on the Peshawar-Torkhum road, charging Rs200 from all vehicles going or coming back from Afghanistan.

Shakir Nek Khel, head of one of the groups, accused the other group of forcibly stopping 55 trailers from going to Afghanistan and said most of the vehicles were carrying supplies for allied and Nato forces in Afghanistan. He said that unless these vehicles were allowed to proceed to Afghanistan, his groups would not clear the road.

Leader of the other group Shah Hussain defended the collection of illegal octroi from trucks and trailers and said that the amount was spent on truck drivers’ welfare.

It was learnt that Haji Ayub Afridi and Malik Darya Khan Zakha Khel, two influential figures, were supporting the two groups. Local political administration was able to clear the road on Wednesday evening, but the road was again blocked on Thursday by Shakir’s group after a jirga of local elders and councillors failed to resolve the issue.