TORKHAM: Residents, porters and social workers on Friday staged protest in Landikotal and Torkham bazaars to record their protest against the Pakistani labourers who have been stopped by Emarat-e-Islami at Torkham border to enter Pakistan.
The first protest rally led by Kalimullah Shinwari and others marched in Landikotal bazaar and ended outside the Landikotal press club. They were holding black flags and banners with slogans they want free movment of porters via Torkham border.
The rally later marched to Torkham border where they gathered at Nadra Chowk at Torkham border town.
A number of political leaders, workers and loca leders also participated in the protests.The protesters had blocked the road in Torkham causing the suspension of Afghan repatriation for an hour.
Speakers including Tehsil chairman Shah Khalid Shinwari, traders union president Jafar Khan Shinwari, Kalimullah Shinwari, Qari Nazim Gul,Murad Hussain Afridi,and others said that more than five hundreds Pakistanis and Afghan citizens were doing job as porter at Torkham border.
They said a day before around 200 Pakistani labourers who had entered Afghanistan by proper passport and visa were denied their entry back to Pakistan. They also accused that Afghan authorities have taken away passports from the Pakistani porters and kept them into their illegal custody.
Siyasi Etihad Landikotal president Murad Hussain Afridi said that Afghanistan without any reason not allowing Pakistani poor labourers and kept them in custody for three days.He also said Pakistan must respect Afghan citizens residing in Pakistan legally. He said authorities should held flage meeting with Afghan authorties and take up the labourers issue with them.
The protesters demanded of the Pakistani government to intervene the situation and ask the Afghan officials to return passports to the Pakistani citizens.
Landikotal Council chairman Shah Khalid said that said that Afghan government must let the Pakistanis to return to their country.
A social worker Akhtar Ali Shinwari told The News that around 200 Pakistani labourers had been kept in custody by Afghan authorities at Afghan side of Torkham border. He said they had halted all the trucks and coaches crying Afghan national back to their country. He said they did not want to hurt the Afghan citizens as they are their brothers and sisters but compelled to suspend the repatriation to record their protest.
