PUL-I-KHUMRI (SW): Truck drivers in Baghlan province have said they are bound to pay money, on one hand to police and on the other to bandits for safe passage on highways.
In conversation with Salam Watandar, a number of truck drivers said that they carry all necessary documents for transportation purposes, but there is no respite in high handedness by the police and highway robberies. The drivers warned that if situation persisted, they would stop operating.
The truck drivers said they pay up to 200 afghani on each security check post in the province.
Meanwhile, Zabiullah Shuja, spokesperson for the police in the province, has rejected the allegations. He said that providing security for the people is their mission. Shuja added that stern actions would be taken against anyone caught red-handed. He said that no official complaints are lodged so far in this regard.
This come as Integrity Watch Afghanistan recently published a report stating that Afghans exchange 3 million USD every year as petty bribes. The Baghlan highway is known as a key corridor in the country connecting the Afghan capital Kabul to 9 provinces in the north of the country. It also plays a crucial role in connecting Hairatan and Shir Khan Ports. Thousands of tracks carry goods on this highway on daily basis.
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