Pak-Afghan Customs officials, traders meet at Torkham

LANDIKOTAL: Pakistan’s customs officials and traders met with Afghan customs and border police officials at the Afghanistan side of the Torkham border.

They discussed trade and transportation related issues. Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry former president Ziaul Haq Sarhadi told The News that on the invitation of Afghan officials they held a meeting with Afghan customs and chamber of commerce officials in Afghanistan. Additional Director Transit Trade Muhammad Tayyab led the Pakistani side. He was accompanied by Additional Collector Pakistan customs Torkham Zakir Muhammad, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Khalid Shehzad and Zafarullah.

Nangarhar customs head Nasrullah Sahibzada led the Afghan side. He was assisted by Roohullah Nazeri, Haji Zalmy and Rahim Rahimi. Sarhadi said that they discussed various trade and transportation related issues being faced by transporters and traders from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said Afghan counterparts agreed with them to allow the 1500 empty trucks and containers stranded for the last several months at the Afghan side of the border. He said Afghan border police head agreed that they would allow every empty container from 6pm to 12pm every night to facilitate them to return to Pakistan without any delay.

Ziaul Haq said they told the Afghan officials that each container stranded in Afghanistan had to pay 150 dollar per day as detention charges to the transportation company, which was a huge loss for transporters.

He said both sides discussed various issues to expend trade across the border. Sarhadi said Afghan border officials took them to the parking lots on the Afghan soil along the border side where around two thousands loaded and empty trucks were waiting for their turn to proceed toward their destinations.