Drivers restrict at Torkham border

F.P. Report

LANDI KOTAL: Besides pedestrians’, Pakistan bound truckers will also not be permitted to cross- in via Torkham border without visa and passport after October 31, 2023.

It is to be mentioned here that earlier drivers community had been exempted of visa formality and they could only produce passport while crossing into Pakistan the restriction

Sharing information Assistant Director, Federal Investigative Agency (FIA) Torkham Yasar Arafat said that as per the government policy all kinds of entries including pedestrians and truck drivers through Torkham crossing would be restricted without proper travelling documents.

The drivers who lacked visa and passport will not be let to cross the Torkham border into Pakistan, he added.

It is to be mentioned here that after Army Public School, Peshawar mishap, passport and visa policy was adopted at Torkham border however, the drivers were exempted from proper visa but producing passport at the border was made compulsory for them.

As per border security and custom officials approximately 800 trucks daily cross the Torkham border in the form of carrying export or import goods.

When President Transport Association, Torkham Haji Azeemullah was contacted on the matter he said that the new policy of visa for drivers would bring movement of the truckers at the border to halt.

Instead of loading and unloading trading goods, the driver would stand in long queues outside embassies and consulates and would wait for days to get a visa, he observed.

He urged the government to establish a separate disk for drivers in embassies and conciliates to issue visas easily to them or arrange a token system at the border.

Gul Muhammad, an Afghan driver of a Kabul bound truck said that thousands of drivers lacked visas and it was impossible for embassies and conciliates to issue them visas in a short period.

He went on that the uploaded consignment will be ready to transport it to Kabul or vice versa but the drivers who lack proper visa will not be permitted to cross the Torkham border to or for to deliver the merchandise commodities.

He urged to revise the restricted scheme for transporters at the border and facilitate them to deliver the merchandise commodities on time in either country without tension.

The business community also expressed their concern over the visa, made compulsory for the truckers and besides the transport community; it would certainly suffer bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Former President Clearance Agent Association, Torkham Riaz Shinwari flayed the interim government for announcing such kind of anti-traders policy and said it would certainly influence export and import activities at the crossing.

The decision would restrain transportation of trading goods i.e. export and import because maximum numbers of drivers would be short of visa and other travelling documents, he remarked.