LANDIKOTAL
In a crowded press conference at the Landikotal Press Club on Thursday, the Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association urged the authorities to bring an ease for traders and truckers to enhance bilateral trade with Afghanistan and dentral Asian republics.
Torkham custom clearance association president Aimal Shinwari, senior vice president Shahjahan Shinwari, vice president Amir Shinwari and transporters unipon president Azimullah raised concerns about the adverse impact of the new Temporary Admission Document(TAD) and visa policies on trade at the Torkham border. They noted that these policies have severely disrupted trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, leading to long queues of vehicles and economic strain on both sides of the border.
The speakers proposed the establishment of a joint office at Torkham to streamline trade processes and suggested allowing vehicles to operate on a token system while paperwork is being processed. They also called for visa holders and those with TAD documents to be granted permission to proceed without third-party interference, and urged that fees not exceed 100 dollars.
Azimullah Shinwari highlighted that while promises were made to process TAD documents within a week, delays of several weeks are now common. He criticized Pakistan’s recent taxes on Afghan fruit, arguing that they have brought businesses to the brink of collapse.
Shinwari urged Pakistani authorities, including the Ministry of Finance and FBR Chairman, to review and reduce the recently increased taxes on Afghan and Pakistani goods. He warned that if these taxes are not reversed, there would be a wheel-jam strike in coordination with other customs agents.
Qari Nazim Gul Shinwari criticized the inconsistent trade policies compared to Iran’s more favorable approach and rejected the trade policies of the National Logistics Cell (NLC) as detrimental.
