Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: Ministry of Interior on Friday formally assigned Pakistan customs authorities to perform body searches of pedestrians inside immigration centers and border points at the Torkham border crossing.
A notification in this regard was also issued by Secretary Interior, restricting the other departments from performing the same duty at borders.
The decision has been welcomed by Vice President Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, traders and local businessmen.
Zia Sarhadi termed the decision as very appropriate as search by different departments, especially by National Logistic Cell(NLC) was not only creating problems and hurdles but it was also delaying the movement in border crossing by pedestrians and goods laden trucks.
Zia Sarhadi said restriction of search to a single department would prove as ease for people crossing borders and also save the time of the business community who were being waited for hours due to body search and scanning of goods by different border authorities.
He thanked Interior Ministry for accepting the long-standing demand of the business community of the country which was facing a lot of problems due to searches by different departments at immigration centers and border points of the country.
