Afghan authorities asked to release 2 000 Pak trucks held near Torkham border

PESHAWAR:  All Pakistan Custom Agents Association (APCAA) Vice President Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi on Saturday urged the Afghan authorities to release some 2,000 Pakistani trucks and containers being held at Khor Maidan area near Torkham Border in Afghanistan since September 5. 

Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, who is also chairman Standing Committee of Sarhad Chamber of Dry Port, in a press statement, said the trucks, which had carried Afghan Transit goods to Afghanistan from Karachi, were held on their way back to Pakistan after unloading the goods on the plea that there was traffic rush on the Pak-Afghan road.

He claimed that those drivers, who paid bribe to the Afghan officials, were allowed to continue their journey.

Zia Sarhadi said holding of trucks by the Afghan authorities was burdening the exporters with extra expenditure of penalty payment to shipping companies and transporters.

The shipping companies allowed free time of some seven to 14 days where a truck took 20 to 30 days to reach Jalalabad from Karachi, he added.

He said besides routine transportation of consignments, the exporters were to pay demurrage of around dollar 120 to 160 per day to the shipping companies and such delay on account of holding of truck by the Afghan authorities caused additional loss to them.

It also caused shortage of trucks and containers in the market, resulting into increase in the fare from Rs 150,000 to Rs. 200,000 per container to Rs 300,000 to Rs. 400,000, he added.

Zia claimed that due to ''unjustified increase'' in expenditure of Good in Transit Trade to Afghanistan (GITA) and Pak Afghan Transit Trade Agreement, around 70 percent of transit trade business had been shifted from Karachi port to Chabahar and Bandar Abbass ports in Iran.

He called for a review of the Transit Trade Agreement to increase bilateral trade between the two countries.