LANDIKOTAL
After recent successful talks held between Pakistan and Afghanistan, an agreement has been finalised according to which the requirement of visas and passports condtion for border crossing of drivers and their crew members for the transportation of commercial and noncommercial goods has been removed, said an official on Friday.
He said that the following the consensus, the agreement has been given the final shape they were directed to remove the visa and passport condition for teyckers.
He said temporary papers would be prepared to facilitate commercial transportation from both sides of the Torkham border crossing. He said visa-free and passport-free system for traders via Torkham border will start from May 1.
The official sais the border trade will be done through the banking system and Pakistan and Afghanistan will hand over the final draft to each other for implementation.
It should be noted that this was a long-standing demand from Afghanistan to remove visa and passport requirements for Afghan truck drivers and their crews for road trade and this issue led to controversy and traffic was stopped at the border several times.
The preferential trade agreement is being considered as an important development in the relations between the two countries.
Truckers,traders and custom agents widely applauded the development and said that it would further enhance trade ties with Afghanistan and central Asian republics.
