JALALABAD (SW): Hundreds of goods carrying trucks got stranded at Torkham as Pakistan denies Afghan traders to enter, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said on Sunday.
Khan Jan Alakozay, Vice President of the ACCI told journalist in Kabul this afternoon that some 300 Pakistan-bound loaded trucks were stranded at the Torkham crossing point. He warned if Pakistan continued to deny entry to the Afghan traders, they would do the same to the trucks coming from Pakistan.
He blamed Pakistan for not sincerely implementing the Afghanistan Pakistan Trade Agreement (APTA). The business community also blamed the Kabul government for turning a blind eye to their issues. It is vital to note that APTA grants entry and exit rights to trucks from either country.
Speaking on the occasion, local trader Haji Mohammad Arif noted that importers like him are compelled by the Pakistani authorities to pay bribes for their goods to be shifted to Afghanistan. The ACCI urged upon the Afghan government to summon Islamabad’s Ambassador to Kabul over the issues faced by the traders in doing transit trade with Pakistan.
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