LANDIKOTAL: Torkham custom clearing agents and traders on Saturday establiahed sit-in camp at the Torkham border crossing to record their protest against the hard and fast condtions including Temporary Admission Documen(TAD) placed for transporters that have caused shrink bilateral trade with Afghanistan.
The sit-in camp led by All Torkham Custom Association president Aimal Khan Shinwari installed a tent nearcthe Zero point in Torkham where a large number of traders, transporter, truck drivers and other business community members participsted.
The protesters were demanding relaxation in the issuance of Temporary Admission Documents (TAD) for cargo vehicles between the two countries.The protesters claimed that issuance of TAD document takes several months to obtain which was suffer financial losses for cargo vehicle drivers.
Talking to journalists Aimal Khan Shinwari said the delay in issuing TAD document would severely decrease bilateral trade between the Pakistan and Afghanistan and central Asian countries.
He said thousands of cargo vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the Torkham border for the past month due to the lack of TAD document with the truck drivers.He said TAD condition was imposed without prior notice to the drivers.
Aimal Khan urged border authorities to bring an ease in passport and visa policy and allow cargo vehicles to move through TAD would be a positive step for both countries.
He said to prevent the collapse of bilateral trade, the delay in issuing TAD document need to be resolved on priority basis.
The protesters threantened that if border conditions were not releaxed till Monday they would be compelled to give countrwide wheel-jam strike which would be continued until their demands are met.
