Ashrafuddin Pirzada
TORKHAM: Thousands of passengers and trucks carrying fresh fruits, vegetables, and other commodities crossed the Torkham border on Friday after Pakistan as a goodwill gesture reopened border crossing after 10th day of its closure, officials said.
Pakistan customs officials said more than two hundred trucks carrying fresh fruits and vegetables that had been waiting in Afghanistan were allowed to enter Pakistan as the border was reopened at 7 a.m morning. He said likewise, trucks with different goods also started entering Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, thousands of passengers, especially patients, women, children, and elderly men, travelled from and to Afghanistan on the very first day of the reopening of the Torkham border. Afghan citizens, including Alam Jan Aghan, Obaidullah Mujaddidi, and others, welcomed Pakistan’s decision to open the Torkham border. They said a number of families stranded in Landikotal who were in the homes of Landikotal residents and mosques waiting for the reopening of the border to travel back home country.
Exporters and importers said billions of rupees in losses have hit both Pakistani and Afghan exchequers in the past 10 days of the closure of the border. They said not only did the countries buy private business owners but also severely suffered during the closure of the border.
Federal Investigation Agency(FIA) assistant director Torkham told The News that on the first day, the Afghan citizens in Pakistan were permitted to travel on Afghan identity cards (Tazkira) back to Afghanistan. He said thousands of Afghan nationals crossed the Torkham border on the first day of reopening after ten days of its closure. He said that for two more days, Afghans would take advantage of travelling on Tazkira back to Afghanistan. He said that after the expiry of three days of relaxation, everyone should have a proper valid visa and travel documents in his hands to cross the border.
Torkham customs clearing agents, traders, shopkeepers, and students thanked Pakistan for their generosity to the people residing on both sides of the border. They requested authorities to repair the import scanner that had also created impediments in the quick process of goods transportation
Shaban Najam, a Pakistani medical student in Kabul, told this scribe that his new semester classes began two weeks ago but could not reach his university on time due to the closure of the border. He said like him studies of dozens of Pakistani students enrolled in universities in Afghanistan also suffered. He appealed to strengthen close ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan in the future so that both bother countries could enjoy cordial relationships.
