Daily Times

LANDIKOTAL: Afghan and Pakistani transporters have demanded the withdrawal of visa condition set for truck drivers as it was impossible for thousands of truckers who daily cross the Pak-Afghan border to obtain visa.

The demand was made during a joint Jirga of Afghans and Pakistani transporters union leaders with Pakistani officials at Torkham border. The Jirga held at Torkham Administration office on Tuesday, was attended by a large number of transporters and Union leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Addressing on the occasion, Afghan transporters union leaders including Qasim, Abdur Rehman and Ghalib said that they were not ready to accept visa condition imposed by the Pakistani authorities.

Qasim said Torkham Border was the main source of handsome revenue being generated by both the countries’ customs departments. If Afghan truckers were not permitted to enter Pakistan they would be compelled to ask Pakistani truckers not to enter Afghanistan without visa.

The Jirga was continued for an hour which discussed issued being faced by the truckers transporting goods between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistani transporters Union leaders including President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Transporters Muhammad Yousuf, Khyber Transporters Union President Shakir Afridi, Mirajuddin Shinwari and Jahanzeb told the Jirga that around ten thousands trucks are transporting different goods from and to Afghanistan. They said due to the restrictions imposed at Torkham border the trade between two countries and Central Asian States was reduced 85 per cent.

Mirajuddin Shinwari said that it was impossible for the truckers to use their passport as they cross the Torkham border at least twice a week.

Contrary to the demands placed by the transporters, the Pakistani officials in clear words told the Jirga that after the expiration of deadline on September 30, they would not allow anyone to enter Pakistan without valid visa.

The transporters union leaders told the Pakistani officials that they were not ready to accept the visa condition for transporters. They threatened that if the visa condition was not taken back they would launch countrywide wheel jam strike from Karachi to Khyber from October 1.

It may be added that Pakistani authorities at Torkham border had placed visa condition for Afghan nationals including truck drivers.

Meanwhile, Afghan government issued written orders to the border authorities that not allow Pakistani transporters without visa to enter Afghanistan, sources in Afghan side of the Torkham told this scribe. They said that on the reaction of Pakistani authorities, Afghan government was also planning to deport Pakistani nationals working in Afghanistan without visa.