Transporter killed,three wounded in Afghan police firing

Pak-Afghan transporters  wheel jam strike 

TORKHAM BORDER: A transporter was killed while three others wounded in Dakah area of Afghanistan when Afghan police opened indiscriminate firing on the provoked protestors who were protesting against the illegal tax being collected by the Afghan police at Torkham border, border sources said on Tuesday.

The incident happened in Dakah,some ten kilometers from Torkham border in Afghanistan, when Afghan border police forced the protesters to dispersed and end call off protest, sources said. Gul Agha, an Afghan transporter, told The News by phone that they were peacefully protesting against the illegal tax when police came and scuffled with them. He said as the situation went out of control all of a sudden police opened firing over them.

A large number Afghan transporters were demanded of the Afghan government to withdraw Polee-i-Khak(Land tax) imposed on trucks enter Afghan soil. Hundreds of loaded and empty trucks were seen parked on the both sides to record their protest against the illegal Polee-i-Khak(Land tax) being taken from all the trucks when they enter Afghanistan from Pakistan.

Afghan transporters union president Tila Muhammad told The News that Afghan border authorities charge 10,000 rupees from each truck entering Afghanistan from Pakistan. He said it was unfair with the transporters that Afghan government takes this amount on the name of soil tax or Land tax from Pakistani transporters.

The Afghan transporter  alleged that Khasadars and Frontier Crops(FC) personnel deployed on Torkham border,Michni, Ziaray,Prang sum,Bagrari and Takhtabag check posts in Khyber Agency were also collectively taking Rs,17,000 from each Afghanistan bounded truck.

Tila Muhammad said Afghan border authorities also imposed an illegal tax and taking Rs, 10,000 from each Pakistani truck when they enter into Afghan soil.

“We are been looted by both the border authorities as we have to pay a handsome amount to Pakistani and Afghan border police to transport goods in trucks”, said Tila Muhammad.

He said if Afghan and Pakistani governments if not sincerely negotiate with the transporters they would not call off the strike.

A well-known Afghan trader Abdur Rehman requested the Pakistan’s government to stand exempted Afghan drivers and conductors from visa condition. He said if Pakistani embassy and conciliates in Afghanistan issue gate passes to the Afghan transporters would help increase import and export volume between the neighboring countries.

All Pakistan Transporters Union president, Shakir Afridi, also announced solidarity with the Afghan transporters and observed strike on the Pakistan’s side of the border. He told reporters that all the trucks have been stopped transporting goods to Afghanistan. He said around five hundred loaded trucks reached to Torkham border were asked to park it on the Torkham border.

Meanwhile, Hundreds of trucks loaded with fresh fruits, vegetables, construction materials and groceries were seen on the both sides of the Pak-Afghan highway in Landikotal and Jamrud waiting to call off the strike and move towards Afghanistan.

The Pak-Afghan transporters threatened that if Pakistan and Afghanistan governments not withdraw their illegal taxes they continue their wheel jam strike.

Political Tehsildar Torkham Shamsul Islam when contacted said that they held several rounds of talks with the Afghan authorities and transporters to settle down the issue at the earliest.