PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shahzad Arbab said as many as 3300 vehicles loaded with goods are stranded on Peshawar-Torkham Highway and at private parking places owing to closer of Torkham border point between Pakistan and Afghanistan due to Covid-19 pandemic.
Addressing a press conference here late Thursday night, he said the relevant departments have been given task to clear all the vehicles within 10 days, adding that till Tuesday 700 to 800 vehicles would be cleared, while parking areas are being specified to accommodate the stranded vehicles.
He said Hamza Baba Landi Kotal has already been handed over to Custom authority, while more space would be provided near Torkham in next two to three days. Similarly in Mattni area of Peshawar and Karak more parking lots are being specified for stranded vehicles. Shahzad told that 200 vehicles would be cleared at Kharlachi border point on daily basis while Ghulam Khan border point would also be activated by next week after establishing contact with Afghan government.
He said Islamabad wants to strengthen trader ties with Kabul and take it to $3 billion. Referring to Angor Adda border point, he said due to absence of custom staff at the border point it was closed, however the government has decided to deploy custom staff at Angor Adda border point to make it operational.
He said Karak, Angor Adda, Mattni, Ghulam Khan and Hamza Babb Landi Kotal are backward areas and the business activities in these areas would provide employment opportunities to local youth beside development and prosperity.
He said that peace in Pakistan is conditional with peace in Afghanistan, adding that if peace and development restore in Kabul it would pave the way for trade access to central Asian states that would usher a new era of prosperity and development in the region.
Arbab Shahzad said Islamabad always desired good relationship with Kabul and always played positive role in this regard as it believes that it is imperative for development and prosperity of two nations. He said as per the commitment of Prime Minister Imran Khan all the available resources are being utilized to strengthen trade ties and stability of economy.
Earlier, ACS Shakil Qadir, Deputy Commissioner Khyber Mehmood Aslam, Secretary Industry Javed Marwat, Chief Collector Custom, Police high-ups and other representatives of line departments brief the PM's aide about the Afghan trade.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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