Labourers bear brunt of ban on goods transportation

Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: At least 7,000 labourers including 2,000 children are bearing the brunt of tight security and restrictions on the transportation of goods to and from Afghanistan.

Talking to The News on Tuesday, a number of labourers working at the Torkham border said they had been earning enough money to earn livelihood for their families but after the imposition of restrictions on the transfer of goods they were finding it difficult to keep body and soul together. “My son, a Grade-IV student, quit education and started selling grams in the village,” said Nabi Gul.

Another labourer, Mashar Khan, said he used to earn Rs500 to 800 a day but now he was jobless. He said imposing restrictions on business activities would not help improve the security situation.

A well-known businessman, Khanzad Gul, told this scribe that around 5,000 labourers had lost jobs. He said not only Pakistanis but the Afghan businessmen and shopkeepers were also suffering due to the ban. He said a large number of trucks were parked on both sides of the border and dozens of shops and hotels were closed due to the slump in business activities. He asked the authorities to lift the ban on the transportation of flour and daily-use items to create job opportunities and revive business activities.

Another labourer, Shafi Lalpurwal, said that he was earning Rs300 a day after his school time but now like other labourers he too was not allowed to take the goods across the border. Narrating his ordeal, he broke into tears and said he was the only son of his widowed mother. He said he had three sisters and had to work to support his family. When contacted, the officials concerned wishing to remain anonymous said the ban had been imposed on those items that were unlawful.