Traders want Torkham border to remain open round-the-clock

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa business community and Afghan traders have demanded that Torkham border must remain open round the clock to further strengthen mutual trade and business relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The demand came at a meeting with acting Afghan Consul General in Peshawar, Hashim Niaz, acting Afghan trade commissioner Hamid Fazal Khail, Afghan traders and transporters with Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) president Faiz Mohammad Faizi at the chamber house.
The Pak-Afghan Liaison Committee member and chairman SCCI standing committee on Railways and Dryport Ziaul Haq Sarhadi were also present. Governments of the two countries were urged to take joint measures to remove hurdles in Pakistan-Afghanistan transit trade to further enhance the mutual trade and business ties.
Afghan traders apprised the meeting of the issues that are impeding bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as Afghan transit trade. They also raised concern over empty containers and trucks being held at Khor Maidan area near Torkham border in Afghanistan, which had pushed up rent exorbitantly.
The Afghan traders viewed that the blockage of more than 2,700 containers and trucks had brought negative impacts on trade couple with substantial increase in their rents. They urged the chamber president Faiz Mohammad Faizi to convey their reservations to both Pakistan and Afghan governments, especially on the issue of Torkham border that must be kept open round the clock in order to avoid affecting transportation of trucks, loaded with goods during prolonged checking procedure.
The Afghan traders have demanded of Pakistan and Afghanistan governments to take joint measures to remove hurdles in transit trade and further enhance bilateral trade and business relations between the two neighouring countries.
Ziaul Haq Sarhadi expressed serious concern over impediments in way of Pak-Afghan transit trade and mutual business and bilateral trade ties. He demanded that the new Afghan transit trade agreement should be reviewed immediately and to remove the reservations of business community in this regard.
A two day earlier, Pak-Afghan Liaison Committee meeting was held at Customs House Peshawar, chaired by Faiz Ali, Director Transit Trade Peshawar. The meeting discussed operational issues relating to Afghan transit trade and bilateral trade.
Dr Faisal Bukhari, additional director Transit Trade, Ziaullah Shams, additional collector Customs, M Imran, assistant commissioner Landi Kotal, GM NLC Jamrud, Faiz Mohammad Faizi, president Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, former president of the SCCI, representatives of TDAP and Afghan Consulate in Peshawar attended the meeting.