JUIF activists protest hurdles to cross border movement

LANDIKOTAL: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUIF) activists staged a protest at the Torkham border to protest the hardships being faced by Afghan citizens at the border crossing.

The protesters, led by JUI-F senior leader Mufti Ejaz Shinwari, gathered at the Nadra Chowk and blocked the road around two hundred yards from the zero point. Speakers including customs clearing agents association Torkham leader Mirajuddin Shinwari, JUI-F’s Qari Nazeem Gul, Torkham labour union’s Farman Shinwari and others accused the National Logistics Cell (NLC) officials of misusing their authority.

They said Afghan citizens were being humiliated without any valid reason, adding that the NLC had no legal authority to check the travel documents of passengers. The speakers urged the other government departments to intervene and provide the best possible facilities to Afghan citizens visiting Pakistan.Mufti Ejaz said hundreds of locals had lost their jobs and businesses due to restrictions at the Torkham border crossing.