By Ashraf Uddin Pirzada
ISLAMABAD: Senator Taj Muhammad Afridi has asked the Pakistan and Afghanistan to relax Torkham border crossing for Fata traders as billion of dollars import and export businesses were being run by tribesmen via Afghanistan.
Taj Muhammad Afridi was talking to a delegation of Fata reporters at his office in islamabad the other said that a large number of Pakistani citizens including Fata traders were doing various kinds of businesses from the world via Afghanistan.
Taj said he knew many businessmen from Pakistan who lost million of rupees due to strict rulles imposed on the Torkham border crossing. He said more than 20,000 shops and business offices on the both sides of the Torkham border were facing shortage of sale and purchase since Afghans were asked not to travel Pakistan without visa.
Taj Muhammad Afridi said more than 1500 customs clearance agents offices situated on the Pakistani side of the Torkham were gradually closing due to the situation prevailed across the border. He said big businessmen,in Pakistan and Afghanistan,were shifting their offices to other cities and out of Pakistan.
"Around 70 percents of tyres,autoes and auto spareparts importers in Pakistan are Afghan nationals", He said 22 top rich men in Pakistan were Afghans who contribute in Pakistan's economy and million of revenue was being generated of their taxes every year.
Taj Muhammad requested the Afghan and Pakistani governments to keep watch on the international conspiracies which could affect bilateral and cordial relation among the two Muslim nations.
He said on the name of "border management" tribals on the both sides of the border were being tried to deprived of free access to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Senator suggestrd that Rahdari cards could be an alternate option of visa and passport for smooth border crossing. He said thousands of Pakistani ran import and export businesses on the Afghan side of the Torkham border.
"Restriction on Torkham border crossing is directly depriving thousands of Fata people of their trade activities with Afghanistan and central Asian countries", said Senator Taj.He added that it was a tough task for the Pakistani government to send back four million Afghan refugees in the coming months.
However,Taj Muhammad urged Afghans to start winding up their businesses and sale out their houses in Pakistan as they had to ultimately go back to their country.
Quoting the official records, Sentor Taj Muhammad said Afghans residing and registered in Pakistan were not found involved in big terrorism activites carried out in Pakistan.
He said after the repatriation of Afghan refugees to Afghanistan they would face shortage of cheap laborers in Peshawar city and Fata.
To a question, he said tribal elders and parliamentarians could play an important role to maintain brotherly relation with Afghanistan.
He said none of the sides so far asked them to call a joint Jirga of elders of Pakistan and Afghanistan to reduce the gulf between the two countries.
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