Afghan children extensively used for smuggling at Torkham border

PESHAWAR: Children are increasingly being used for smuggling purposes at Torkham following Pakistan's decision to fence the border with Afghanistan and undertake tougher anti-smuggling measures, officials said.

According to the officials, the children risk their lives by travelling and hiding in undercarriage of the trucks to cross the border. They added that fatal accidents have become a daily occurrence. The officials pointed out that the kids’ involvement in smuggling has negatively affected and reduced the Pak-Afghan trade, which Islamabad is trying to increase by taking decisions such as keeping the border open 24 hours instead of the earlier practice of opening it from sunrise to sunset.

They said the use of children, who are invariably Afghans, to smuggle goods is quite extensive as they are motivated by the smugglers. There are also unconfirmed reports that the Afghan border police reportedly support the children to undertake smuggling for financial gains. The Frontier Corps (FC), which is tasked with checking illegal activities across the busy border, has to contend with the hue and cry raised by the beneficiaries of the smuggling affected by its actions. These beneficiaries occasionally even close the international border as a mark of protest and come up with the demand that smuggling by the minors should be allowed.

The kids often hurl abuses and throw stones at the FC soldiers when they are stopped and denied the opportunity to smuggle goods. On occasions, the soldiers in a state of emotion manhandle the kids. This is exploited by people with vested interest, mostly using the social media. The FC authorities as per law punish the soldiers involved in manhandling. Officials argued that apart from smuggling, affecting Pak-Afghan trade and creating law and order problems, this was also an issue of exploitation of children and child labour and needs to be addressed effectively. The video footage of children being used for smuggling activities shows them hiding in the trucks' undercarriage while crossing the border as the FC personnel politely ask them to come out to avoid harm. The children are seen jumping out of the undercarriage carrying the smuggled goods in bags.

This is quite risky as officials pointed out that mishaps are a common occurrence at the border. Meanwhile, mostly young Afghans continue to attempt to enter Pakistan illegally across the Torkham border instead of availing the Pakistani visa that is issued free by Pakistan's diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. Many are apprehended. Recently, two teenagers, Hidayat son of Khushal and Marifat son of Hazrat Gul, were taken into custody by the FC personnel and handed over to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police for completing the legal procedure. Once caught, such Afghans are kept in judicial custody until the court decides the case.