Stampede at Torkham border caused movement suspension

Ashrafuddin Pirzada LANDIKOTAL: Pakistani authorities suspended movement via Torkham border crossing for an hour after stampade happned due to the slow Nadra documentation process on Saturday,sources said. The sources said that at the eve of the holy month of Ramzan thousands of Afghan citizens each day returning to their country from Pakistan via Torkham border. He said the same numbers of Pakistanis also returning from Afghanistan. On Saturday morning,the sources said, more than seven thousands Afghan citizens including women,elderly men and children were standing in various parallel queues at Torkham border to get their traveling documents cleared from Nadra office. He said all of a sudden stampede occured. He said several minor children and women slightly injured in the sampede. Meanwhile, National Logistic Cell employees tried to control the stampede and started hitting Afghan passengers with sticks. A man,identified as Imtiaz was seriously injured in the baton charge by the NLC employees. The passengers later staged protest demonstration and chanted slogans. Torkham police cordoned off the area and controlled the situation.Movement from and to remained suspended via Torkham border due to the stampede which was later resumed after an hour. Assistant sub-inspector Samiullah Kokikhel said they called a contengent of police and dispursed the protesting passengers. He said later movement was resumed at Torkham border.