Ashrafuddin Pirzada
TORKHAM: On Wednesday, hundreds of porters and daily wagers staged a protest demonstration at the Torkham border and chanted songs against alleged harshed behaviour by border authorities.
Porters marched in Torkham bazaar holding black flags and chanting slogans against the harsh and immoral attitude of Frontier Corps(FC)Custom and National Logistic Cell(NLC) employees with them.
Demonstrators also voiced their grievances and demanded that the government spot the brutality with the poor daily wagers and provide them with better job opportunities. The porters warned that if their demands were not met, they would observe August 14 as a day of mourning and could initiate a continuous strike in Torkham border town.
The protest highlighted ongoing concerns about the daily wagers’ rights and treatment at the border, calling for immediate action from higher authorities to address their issues.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Younis, President of the Free Tribes Transport Association and his colleague Maulana Hazratullah Shinwari held a crowded press conference at the Landikotal Press Club. They highlighted the issues faced by transporters and drivers at the Torkham border. They said that hundreds of loaded and empty trucks had been halted on the Afghan side of the border for the past 20 days.
They said that a Temporary Admission Document(TAD) was suddenly imposed, and hundreds of trucks across the border were halted.
Younis said the Free Tribes Transport Association advocated vigorously on behalf of the transporters and drivers, presenting their grievances to customs and Afghan border officials.
Maulana Hazratullah Shinwari said they met with border officials of both countries to bring ease in conditions placed for drivers and transporters. He requested a six-month grace period for document processing and suggested that drivers be permitted to cross the border on tokens or that the previous system be reinstated.
He said transporters and drivers expressed their gratitude to the Free Tribes Transport Association for resolving their issues, noting that their pleas had previously gone unheard. He also praised the role of journalists in promoting cross-border trade.
