Ashrafuddin Pirzada
LANDIKOTAL: After waiting for one month, 37 loaded trucks were permitted and entered Afghanistan via Torkham border, officials said on Friday.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Swalzar Khan Afridi said they on the directives of the government they allowed 37 trucks stranded in various parts of the Khyber district for the last month. He said only trucks carrying transit goods were allowed to cross the border. He said the Pakistani trucks were unloaded at the Afghan custom-house established on Afghanistan’s side of the Torkham border and returned to Pakistan.
Assistant commissioner of Landikotal Muhammad Imran said he had called a meeting of all line departments to cope with the situation. He said if anyone enters Pakistan via the Torkham border they would be stood by to provide them with food and other necessary items. He said for patients medical facilities would also be available at the border where doctors and health staff is deployed on an emergency basis.
“Pakistani authorities are in negotiating with Afghan counterparts to make a mechanism for those Pakistani citizens and trucks stranded in Afghanistan since the border was closed after a lockdown on both sides of the border.”, Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Imran informed.
He said hopefully by Monday they could reach a decision with Afghan border authorities to help return Pakistani nationals. He said quarantine centers were being established for all returnees where they would be quarantined for 14 days.
Imran said they were doing their hectic efforts to ensure the best possible services by all the Line Departments in the three quarantine centers in Landikotal.
He said they gave separate and special tasks to the Medical Superintendent of DHQ hospital, TESCO, PBH, TMA, PDMA, and Police in Landikotal to meet the challenging situation that prevailed after Coronavirus spread.
