Pak-Afghan trade resumes after three months break

LANDIKOTAL/MIRANSHA: Pakistan and Afghanistan resumed trade activities after three months of suspension, official sources said on Monday.

Several trucks loaded with fruit and vegetables crossed into Pakistan via Torkham border crossing. They said that Pakistan and Afghanistan had halted import and export three months ago when Torkham border was closed for all kinds of movement due to coronavirus pandemic. Last week, a flag meeting was held at Torkham border between the border officials of both countries in which they agreed to resume trade activities. Dozens of trucks loaded with fruit and vegetables entered Pakistan via Torkham while individuals can cross the border from both sides on Saturdays only.

Torkham clearance agents and transporters welcomed the resumption of trade ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Torkham transporters union president Haji Azeemullah Shinwari and custom agents Sareer Khan and Basit Khan said their businesses severely suffered due to the lockdown. They applauded Pakistan and Afghanistan for resuming trade and said that gradually their trucks would run between the two countries and their businesses would resume. According to officials at Torkham border, all the activities are taking place while putting in place the anti-corona SOPs. Transporters appealed to the border authorities to expedite the documents clearance process so that maximum trucks could cross the border each day.

MIRANSHAH: The Ghulam Khan border was reopened for trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan after remaining closed for three months in connection with the coronavirus-related measures. Deputy Commissioner of North Waziristan Shahid Ali Khan told reporters that the Ghulam Khan border crossing had been closed in March in view of the coronavirus lockdown.

He added that trade activity had come to a halt when the border was closed. However, he expressed the hope that the reopening of the border would help revive the trade activities between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The official said that the standard operating procedures had been implemented to stop the transmission of the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, the trader community expressed joy over the reopening of the border and said that the suspension of the business activities had inflected huge loss on them.