Timely completion of modern terminal at Torkham sought

PESHAWAR: President of Frontier Customs Agents Association (FCAA) Ziaul Haq Sarhadi has termed the construction of the state-of-the-art terminal at Pak-Afghan Torkham border a milestone project and called for its timely completion.

In a statement issued here on Sunday, Sarhadi, who is also former senior vice president of Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the modern terminal project was initiated in 2015, which was delayed due to slow pace of work on this mega-development scheme.

He expressed satisfaction that official of National Logistic Cell (NLC) had hinted at the completion of the terminal project by 2020.

Sarhadi said the construction of the-state-of-the art terminal at Torkham would bring about a revolution in trade.

He recalled that a 20-member delegation comprising importers and exporters, former SCCI president Faiz Mohammad Faizi, Chairman, Land Route Standing Committee, Imtiaz Ahmad Ali, Member National of the Committee Torkham Terminal, transporters, political administration, elders of Khugakhel tribe, Naseer Ahmad, Haji Shafiq, Naib Shah, Zulfiqar Khan, Ajar Khan Shah Hussain, Zakriya Khan, Tajuddin, Wali Khan, Amjad Khan and Ahmad Khan visited Lahore in 2015.

Sarhadi said the delegation was briefed by Brig (r) Nadeem Iqbal Raja at the NLC Terminal Thokar Niaz Baig, Lahore. He said during the visit the official had informed the delegation that a state-of-the-art terminal would be constructed at Torkham border.

On the second day, he added, the delegation had visited the NLC terminal at Wagah border and reviewed the facilities which were being given there.

Sarhadi said the project would offer facilities such as the customs station, baggage scanner, walk-through gate, display centre, warehouse, installation of scale for gauging the weight of vehicles, bank, offices of customs clearing forwarding agents and clearance, exports, imports and Afghan Transit Trade goods.

These facilities, he hoped, could give easy access to Pakistani manufacturing products to Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics.

Sarhadi said the facilities would available to exporters and importers, besides trade between Afghanistan and CAR states would get a boost.

He said the government of Pakistan’s initiative of 24/7 operation at the Torkham border would get desired objectives with the installation of the modern terminal.