Ashrafuddin Purzada
LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of trucks started their transportation on Tuesday after Torkham border closed for all kinds of transportation was reopened after 10 days, officials said.
They said that as the border was reopened for transportation more than 500 loaded trucks parked at the Pakistani side of the border proceeded their movement.
Customs officials said they allowed cargo vehicles to cross the border. They said that Pakistani and Afghan officials met in Peshawar and resolved the issue. They said drivers were exempted from passports and visas till March 31.
An official in Torkham said that at the request of the Afghan ambassador in Peshawar, they extended the visa and passport condition exemption for more than three months. He said both Pakistan and Afghan officials agreed to ban truckers without valid visas from April.
” It was hard ten days I spent with my loaded truck on the Afghan side of the border in the harsh cold weather “, said Alam Jan Afghani whose truck was the first Afghan cargo vehicle to cross the Torkham border and entered Pakistan after the reopening of border. He was so happy and said that thanked to almighty Allah and then Pakistan and Afghanistan for settling the matter. Likewise, all the truckers and traders were happy when they heard about the resumption of transportation via Torkham.
Meanwhile, extra traffic police personnel were deployed at various spots in Landikotal and Torkham to keep the traffic running smoothly
