Pak transporters, political leaders stage protest against visa condition for transporters

Ashrafuddin Pirzada

LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of transporters, political parties’ leaders and traders from Khyber Agency on Sunday staged protest in Landikotal bazaar and asked the government to withdraw visa condition set for truck drivers and the helpers transporting goods to Afghanistan. 

The protesters marched from Bacha Khan Chowk and gathered outside the press club. They were holding black flags and chanted full-throat slogans against the unfriendly visa policy for transporters.

Speaking on the occasion Jamat-e-Islami Fata Naib Ameer Zarnoor Afridi said that it was totally injustice with the tribal people to imposed visa condition to transport goods to Afghanistan. He said it was not acceptable for them to put hurdles and cut off trade relations with Afghanistan. Zarnoor said tribal people have their fifty per cent of business ties with Afghanistan and central Asian republics. 

Awami National Party Landikotal president Shah Hussain Shinwari said that Pakistan should revise its failed policies and use its full efforts to resume cordial relations with Afghanistan. He said thousands of laborers and other daily wagers have been suffering from the restricted border policies. He said local traders and transporters so far suffered billion of rupees losses due to the visa condition set illogically.

Khyber transporters president Shakir Afridi said that around ten thousand loaded trucks were waiting on border to transport different items to Afghanistan.

“ Long queues of loaded trucks with fresh vegetables, construction materials, transit goods and other items have been parked on the roadsides from Peshawar to Torkham”, said Shakir. He demanded of the Pakistani authorities to withdraw visa condition for truckers as it could not be continued for long time.

Shakir said those have computerized national identity cards should be permitted to cross the Torkham border.

Shakir said that if the visa condition was left they would be compelled to give countrywide wheel-jam strike from March 28.

The protesters also threatened to observe shutter down strike in Landikotal bazaar if their genuine demands were not accepted in the coming two days.

It may be mentioned here that around two thousands trucks with different import and export goods daily cross the Torkham border and generate two to ten million rupees revenue as taxes.