PESHAWAR: Traders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) on Wednesday demanded the government to keep the Torkham border open for the transportation of goods-laden trucks in order to avoid huge financial losses and protect Pak-Afghan trade.
The demand was put up by Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Engr Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz on behalf of the business community during an oath-taking ceremony of Anjuman-e-Tajaran Saddar area, Peshawar.
Pervaiz said the chamber had welcomed the closure of Torkham border for general public to counter the coronavirus pandemic.
However, he added, prolonged restrictions on the movement of containers enroute to Afghanistan via the Torkham border would not only adversely impact the country’s economy and bilateral trade between two countries, but would also cause huge financial losses to traders across the province.
Pervaiz urged the government to allow freight trucks to cross the Torkham border through a proper monitoring mechanism.
Meanwhile, the SCCI president took oath from the newly-elected members of the cabinet of Anjuman-e-Tajaran.
He assured the traders’ community of Saddar area that the chamber would establish immediate contact with the Customs, WAPDA, and the KP’s Excise and Taxation Department along with other government subordinate institutions to amicably resolve their issues in the cantonment board area.
