‘24/7 opening of border to promote trade’

PESHAWAR: Provincial Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra has said that the move to start round-the-clock operation at Torkham border will boost bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The step by the federal and KP governments would enhance export to Afghanistan and other regional countries, he added. Through a statement issued here on Wednesday, the provincial finance minister said that Torkham border’s opening 24/7 for a few days has resulted an immediate impact and more than 2,500 cargo vehicles have availed the night shift.

The night shift, well underway, has reduced congestion and increased cargo traffic by 56 per cent and daily vehicle count crossing Torkham has increased from 586 to 917. Taimur Jhagra said what made the Torkham border’s round-the-clock opening possible was Prime Minister Imran Khan’s desire, the leadership of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan and PM’s advisor Shahzad Arbab in the federal government. He further said the KP government actually gave Rs70 million to facilitate the 24/7 operations at Torkham border, rather than taking the easy way out and hiding behind the excuse of this being a federal subject.

He said that by working together with the prime minister’s office, National Logistic Cell, Frontier Corps, Federal Investigation Agency, National Database and Registration Authority and Federal Board of Revenue, we got the Torkham Border opened 24/7 within six months.