Daily Times

KHYBER AGENCY: Authorities on the Pakistani side of Torkham border have decided to issue special border crossing cards to customs clearing agents as well as Afghan students studying at education institutes in Bacha Mena area.

The decision was announced through a public notice issued by the administration. The notice asked those concerned to contact the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office at Torkham for registration purposes. It said that issuance of cards would begin from Monday (today).

It added that cards would be issued to those who get their particulars verified by authorities concerned – the Torkham customscentre in the case of clearing agents and schoolsadministration in the case of students.

Speaking to Daily Times, Shamsul Islam, a passport naibtehsildarat Torkham, said the radio-frequency identification (RFID) cards were being issued under a pilot project. “Only those who get their particulars verified by authorities concerned will get these cards,” he said.

The card to be issued to clearing agents will remain valid for crossing Torkhum border for three months.

Torkham clearing agents’ association chairman, MirajuddinShinwari, praised the measure and said that it would help boost trading activities at the border. He said that to avoid mismanagement the administration should consult his association during verification of particulars of customs agents.

The decision comes in the wake of repeated demands for special permission to cross border by clearing agents as well as Afghan families whose children had been studying at schools on the Pakistani side of Torkham borderwhen a restricted cross-border movement regime was enforced by Pakistani authorities last year. Under the arrangement put in place through the border management scheme, only those possessing legal documents were to be allowed to cross border.

Afghan families residing in areas in the vicinity of the border had protested that the decision would affect their children’s education. They requested the authorities concerned to review the decision such that their children could proceed with their studies without any inconvenience.

Published in Daily Times, July 10^th , 2017.