Ahmad Nabi
LANDI KOTAL: The Custom department, preventive branch, deprived numbers of locals businessmen of their meager sum by seizing Pakistani currency at Torkham border from more than two dozen local traders here on Tuesday, traders informed.
Approximately 34 local businessmen were on the view that since long they had been engaged in legal trading by taking edible items and other merchandise goods in small quantity to across the border in Afghanistan and after selling of the goods, they received payment in Pakistani rupees and returned back to their country.
However last day without prior information, they added the custom preventive branch with assistance of National Logistic Cell (NLC)started seizing cash Pakistani currency from all the local traders crossing into Pakistan.
Through the lawful trading they were able to earn three time meals for their family but last day the custom preventive seized their money (Pakistani rupees) on pretext that more than ten thousand Pakistan currency in cash was not allowed to bring it in Pakistan.
Bismallah Khan, whose 0.490 million rupees were seized said that he took pulses and other daily usage goods to Jalalabad and other bordering cities for merchandise and after collecting cash payment in Pakistani rupees from the buyers, the officials of NLC and the Custom preventive section confiscated the money at Torkham border, on his return to Pakistan.
“Instead of encouraging the residents of the area to enhance trade, anti-local plan are being formulated to force them on starvation”, he remarked. Another effectee, Ghazal Khan of KhugaKhel tribe regretted that being lonely earner of his family and was involved in ghee business across the border in Afghanistan was also deprived of his asset, 0.3 million rupees at the border.
Apart from the petty businesses at the sharing border, Torkham, they had nothing to feed their families, he said. The NLC official at Torkham border Khesro Khan while commenting on the matter said that they were only facilitator to custom in the case and had no relation with making and implementing of plans at the border by any department.
When the deputy collector custom (preventive), Torkham, Yawar Nawaz was asked for his comments on the issue he said the State Bank of Pakistan under the foreign exchange regulation act directed them to curtain smuggling of Pakistan rupees more than ten thousand in cash into Pakistan. He maintained that with assistance of NLC, they were doing their job and after lodging the case they sent it to the concerned section of the custom department which was authorized to deal the case ass per law.
