Traders demand end to visa condition to enter Afghanistan

LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of transporters, activists of political parties and traders on Sunday staged protest in the Landikotal Bazaar and asked the government to withdraw the visa condition set for truck drivers and the helpers transporting goods to Afghanistan.

The protesters marched from the Bacha Khan Chowk and gathered outside the Ladikotal Press Club. They were holding black flags and chanting slogans against the ‘unfriendly’ visa policy for transporters.

Speaking on the occasion, Jamaat-e-Islami Fata leader Zarnoor Afridi said that it was an injustice with the tribal people to impose visa condition on transport goods to Afghanistan. Awami National Party Landikotal President Shah Hussain Shinwari said that Pakistan should revise its policies towards Afghanistan.

“Thousands of laborers and other daily wagers have been suffering from the restricted border policy. The local traders and transporters have suffered billions of rupees losses due to the illogical visa condition,” he added.

Khyber transporters president Shakir Afridi said that around 10,000 loaded trucks were waiting on the border to transport different items to Afghanistan. “Long queues of loaded trucks with fresh vegetables, construction materials, transit goods and other items have been parked on the roadsides from Peshawar to Torkham,” said Shakir.

He demanded the Pakistani authorities to withdraw the visa condition for truckers as it could not be continued for long time. Shakir said those having computerised national identity cards should be permitted to cross the Torkham border.