Ashrafuddin Pirzada
PAKISTAN: Pakistan customs officials welcomed a truck that reached Pakistan from Uzbekistan via Afghanistan loaded with import goods on Saturday.
Additional collector customs Muhammad Tayyab, traders and other officials warmly welcomed the truck to reach the Torkham border. They showered rose petals on the driver and his crew members when they entered Pakistan. Adeel Ahmad, driver o the truck, said that he drove the truck three weeks ago from Uzbekistan but due to heavy snow on the roads in Afghanistan delayed his movement for a few days.
Muhammad Tayyab said under the Transport International Route(TIR) agreement they received more than 80 container trucks from Uzbekistan with imported goods in the past year and it has gradually increased day by day. He said they export rice, leather and sports goods, medicines and other items to Uzbekistan, Kirghizstan and other central Asian states. He added that Pakistan imports thread-made items, medicines and cotton from Uzbekistan.
The official said that the Torkham transit terminal project would get completed next year which further help increase trade ties with the central Asian countries. Later the container truck was cleared from Torkham customs offices and proceeded to Lahore.
