LANDIKOTAL
Transporters and drivers from Landikotal on Monday warned that they would block the Pak-Afghan highway and halt the repatriation of Afghan refugees if their vehicles stranded in Afghanistan for the last eight months were not facilitate to returned immediately.
Addressing a press conference at the district press club in Landikotal, transporters and drivers including Rehman Zeb, Abad Wali, Mohammad Shah, Yara Gul, Marastyal Hashmat Hussain, Mujahid Shinwari, Daulat Khan, Hajat Wali, Madad Khan, Kabirullah and Shireen Afridi said that their vehicles had remained stranded in Afghanistan for the past eight months, causing severe financial losses.
They said thousands of families dependent on the transport business were facing extreme financial hardship, while many of the stranded vehicles had also suffered serious damage during the prolonged stay in Afghanistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Rehman Zeb said that if the continued halt of their vehicles in Afghanistan was in Pakistan’s national interest, they would endure further hardship for the sake of Pakistan.
He demanded proper compensation and financial support for their losses.
He urged both the provincial and federal governments to take immediate steps to resolve the issue and ensure the safe return of their vehicles from Afghanistan.
The transporters warned that if their demands were not met, they would launch a protest on the Pak-Afghan Highway and stop the ongoing repatriation of Afghan refugees. They said no vehicle would be allowed to cross the border until their stranded vehicles were returned.
They added that political and social figures, along with local residents, would join the protest campaign, while ambulances would be exempted and allowed to pass during the blockade.
