Torkham border closed over visa, passport issues

LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of loaded trucks were stranded as Torkham border was closed for all kinds of traffic on Saturday, sources said.

They said that Pakistani authorities had imposed valid passport and visa conditions for truck drivers and their helpers to transport goods. Pakistani and Afghan border officials did not reach a conclusion that led both sides to stop the trucks.

When contacted, a customs agent Qari Nazim Gul Shinwari said that a large number of trucks mostly loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables were stopped last night. He said Pakistani border authorities asked truckers to produce valid passports and visas.

“We met with Pakistani border officials but could not convince them to relax border conditions for truckers,” said Qari Nazim Gul. He added that in reaction, Afghan officials also suspended the transportation of goods on their side of the border.

Sources in Torkham said that customs officials had asked owners of the trucks loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables to return to Pakistan and elsewhere to unload the consignments to save it from getting rotten within a few hours.

They said that customs authorities had withdrawn valid visa conditions but only demanded valid passports. They said the Afghan government wanted to allow drivers without valid passports and visas.

A top-ranking customs official said last year that they had imposed visa conditions, which was withdrawn. Afghan drivers were not carrying proper traveling documents, which was a security risk.