People asked not to travel to Afghanistan without visas

LANDIKOTAL: The authorities through banners have informed people that holding of valid visa and passport would be necessary to cross Torkham border into Afghanistan after December 31. Several big banners have been fixed on the walls in Torkham border town, asking Pakistani nationals to avoid travelling to Afghanistan without valid visas. The officials said that they would take strict action against those found without passports while travelling to and from Afghanistan.

It was written on the banners that from January 1, they would impose complete ban on crossing the Pak-Afghan border. However, it was mentioned on the banners that residents living alongside the border would be exempted from passport and visa and can travel over the Rahdari cards issued to them by Pakistani border authorities. When contacted, a senior official in

Landikotal told The News on condition of anonymity that they had arrested 28 Afghan nationals during the last three months while travelling to Pakistan with fake Pakistani National Identity Cards. He said that on the Afghan side of Torkham, some Afghan mafias were busy making fake Pakistani traveling documents. He said a jirga of local elders was also convened a few months ago over the issue. The official confirmed that they did not award any punishment to those who were arrested with fake documents but sent them back to Afghanistan. He, however, said that after the expiry of the deadline, they would punish the violators as per the Pakistani laws. He said the Afghan government had also been informed of the development.