PESHAWAR: The Pak-Afghan border closure has led to a loss of millions of rupees, as a large number of freight vehicles, which were issued gate passes after customs clearance, were not being allowed to cross the Torkham border.
According to traders, a total of 1,400 freight vehicles were stuck at Chaman while another 115 were stranded at Torkham for almost three weeks, and that the vehicles were not being permitted to cross the border despite having all the required documents.
Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Senior Vice President Shahid Hussain stated opined that the Pakistani and Afghan authorities have no mechanism in mind to restore bilateral trade during the current situation created by coronavirus.
He said that the traders were earlier told that China would provide special dresses to drivers, but that too has not happened.
“Besides, they were told that a quarantine centres will be established at border points, but no action was taken in this regard.”
He said the traders had suggested the government to keep the Pak-Afghan border open for three days a week so as to ensure smooth supply of food and medicines. However, he lamented, no attention was paid to this end.
He said that the trade between Iran and Afghanistan was continuing but Pakistan has imposed a complete ban, which was not only increasing the problems for the business community but also for the public on both sides of the border.
The SCCI leader said that now it was right time to device a mechanism to restart bilateral trade.
Meanwhile, Frontier Customs Association President Ziaul Haq Sarhadi told this scribe that the immobility of vehicles at Chaman and Torkham borders would spoil the goods inside the containers, and this would put a colossal burden on the traders.
Talking about quarantine centres at the border crossing points, he said a centre with 1,200 tents was set up at Chaman border, but no such centre has been setup on Torkham border.
Sarhadi said as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s export was already affected by terrorism, the federal and provincial governments must not create further problems for traders and immediately clear all vehicles parked on Pak-Afghan border points.
Hakim Khan, a truck driver, who has been trapped at Torkham border for the past 20 days, said that despite receiving customs clearance and a gate pass, they were still waiting for permission to cross the border.
Khan said that freight vehicles on the border cannot be left alone, because the responsibility of goods was on truck driver and conductor. On the other hand, he added, owing to the lockdown situation, drivers were unable to find food with a number of them falling ill.
