Govt urged to lift ban on pedestrian movement at Torkham

LANDIKOTAL: Torkham labour union and Tribal Youth Forum (TYF) jointly staged a sit-in at Landikotal bazaar against the suspension of pedestrian movement from and to Afghanistan via the Afghan border.

The protest was led by TYF president Israr Shinwari and Torkham labour union president Farman Shinwari. Daily wagers and laborers, Awami National Party leader Shah Hussain Shinwari, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Murad Hussain, Qaumi Watan Party leader Ali Rehman Shinwari and other civil society activists attended the sit-in at

Bacha Khan Chowk in Landikotal bazaar. On the occasion, speakers said that Torkham border remained open for all kinds of activities but pedestrian movement had been banned for the last two weeks. They said tribals should be exempted from passport and visa conditions for border crossing.

The labour union activists said they would strictly follow coronavirus SOPs but they should be permitted to work at the border. They said thousands of labourers had lost their jobs due to the closure of the Torkham border for pedestrians.

They demanded the Pakistan Army high ups to let the border open so that they could earn for their families. They threatened that if the government did not lift the ban on pedestrians’ movement and labourers’ work within three days, they would stage a protest for an indefinite period.