Businessmen dealing in Pak-Afghan trade have been assured of transit goods transportation under the Temporary Admission Document (TAD) plan. The assurance has been held out by Joint Secretary Ministry of Commerce, Maria Kazi while speaking virtually at a seminar on Implementation of Temporary Admission Document (TAD) held at Peshawar, said a press release issued here on Saturday. Pakistan on June 2, 2024, started implementation of a plan that allows Afghan transporters to enter on the Temporary Admission Document (TAD) at border points to facilitate speedy bilateral trade between the two countries. The agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan on TAD had reached as transporters’ documentation and visa conditions were complicated issues that led to the closure of the Torkhem border for several days in January 2024. Currently, transportation of bilateral trade between the two neighbouring countries under TAD is allowed for one year starting from June 2024. Joint Secretary of Commerce gave this assurance in response to demands of the business community seeking approval for the transportation of transit trade goods under TAD. The seminar was organised by the Trade Development Authority and was attended by Noman Bashir, Director TDAP, Arbab Qaisar, Director (Transit Trade), Custom Deptt. Peshawar, Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, Commercial and Transport Attaches of Afghan Consulate, former SVP SCCI, Engr. Manzoor Elahi, President Transporters Association Torkhem, Haji Azeemullah Khan, Deputy Director TDAP, Zahid Mehmood and others. In the seminar, the Director Transit Trade Customs Department, Arbab Qaiser gave a presentation about the working of TAD and its objectives and benefits. He informed that the government took this decision for the facilitation of the business community of both countries and to improve the volume of trade between the two countries and in this entire region. Currently, the plan is implemented for one year and its future would be decided on evaluation of its progress and benefits, he added. Speaking on the occasion, Coordinator PAJCCI, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi hailed the decision taken by Pakistan to remove of a hurdle in Pak-Afghan trade. He said the condition of getting a visa for drivers was a very daunting task and created a lot of hardships in trade between the two countries. Zia said the business community presented this suggestion of issuing special passes to drivers dealing in Pak-Afghan trade and be exempted from obtaining visas after a gap of a few months. He also demanded expansion of TAD on transit trade because hundreds of trucks cross the border daily and drivers still are facing the same problem of visa restriction. Currently, TAD is confined to bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and should also include transport carrying goods under transit trade, Zia reiterated.