Nasib Shah Shinwari
TORKHAM: Bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was suspended when the tribesmen of the Khuga Khel tribe blocked the Peshawar-Torkham highway for all sorts of traffic as they protest against the violation of an agreement with the Khuga Khel tribe here on Wednesday.
The Khuga Khel tribe’s angry marchers under the leadership of, Mufti Muhammad Ijaz Shinwari, leader of JUI-f, and other Abdur Raziq Shinwari, a senior leader of PTI blocked Peshawar Torkham high at Landikotal bypass and started sit-in refusing any talks with the administration and other officials.
“The officials in Torkham always violated written agreement and they would not talk with any officials in Landikotal”. Shinwari told the media and added that they would only talk with the high officials.
According to eyewitnesses, when the marchers started throwing stones at the police, the police personnel started aerial firing to disperse the protestors.
Meanwhile, Ali Rahman, the leader of the Qumi Awami party with other leaders addressing a hurried press conference at Landikotal press demanded the high officials in Islamabad resolve the land dispute between NLC and Khuga Khel tribe in Torkham.
The leaders urged the government and other officials to enhance trade via the Torkham border with Afghanistan instead to create hurdles to decrease trade via a border and suffering local trades and poor people.
The Torkham border is an international trade route and a gateway to central Asia which can benefit and boost our country’s weak economy. QWP leaders stated.
The leaders said and criticized that illegal occupation and violation of a written agreement with the Khuga Khel tribe was not acceptable and the dispute should be resolved through negations and table talks.
It has been observed that container trucks loaded with Afghan transit trade goods and other export-laden trucks on way to Afghanistan were stranded due to the closure of high way and the unpleasant incident that happened in Landikotal between the local police and Khuga Khel tribe demonstrators.
A day-long closure of the Peshawar Torkham highway has caused a million rupees loss to both countries’ national exchequer. Trade expert said.
The trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has badly suffered and decreased in the recent past and if such bad trade policies and the closure of the border continued, it might badly affect the trade between the two countries. Traders and commerce experts said.
The Pak-Afghan highway was reopened and trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was restored during evening time as the Khuga Khel elders said they don’t want to suffer the travelers and trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
