• ATOA president claims checkpoints arrange in several KP districts for blatantly amassing cash on pretext of ‘checking’

PESHAWAR: Afghan transporters, working between Pakistan to Afghanistan have lodged a proper criticism with Afghan Embassy, citing widespread unlawful collections by numerous authorities, together with the police and customs officers, in Pakistan from car transporting items beneath Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Commerce Settlement (APTTA).

The President of Afghan Transport Homeowners Affiliation (ATOA), Mohammad Noor Ahmadzai, alleged that Pakistani authorities have been allegedly extorting exorbitant sums of cash from Afghan transporters by way of numerous illegal means. He claimed, “They’re amassing from Rs1000 to Rs10,000 per car illegally.” Ahmadzai additional claimed that quite a few checkpoints have been established throughout completely different districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the place officers are blatantly amassing cash from automobiles beneath the pretext of “checking.” These unauthorised collections are including significantly to the monetary burden on Afghan transporters, he mentioned.

Moreover, he defined that in Peshawar, Nowshehra, Swabi, Mardan, Hangu, and Parachinar, visitors cops have been pressuring Afghan transporters to fulfill particular day by day quotas of extortion cash.

He expressed frustration over the shortage of motion in opposition to these unlawful practices regardless of repeated complaints to each Pakistani authorities and the Afghan Embassy. He revealed that Afghan transporters are compelled to cowl these bills themselves, as there are not any funds allotted by Pakistani or Afghan transport departments.

Within the context of Afghan transport, the state of affairs is especially problematic. In keeping with Mashal Khan, an Afghan driver, there are isn’t any provision for getting cash from commerce automobiles, Nevertheless, from Attock to Torkham, every truck is topic to illegal extortions starting from Rs1000 to 40,000 rupees, with no official receipts offered. He added that this unauthorised assortment not solely impacts the Afghan transport sector but additionally hinders commerce between the 2 international locations. At current, hundreds of trailers and vans facilitate commerce between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As Afghan transporters face mounting monetary pressures and an unjust system, there may be an pressing want for each Pakistani and Afghan authorities to deal with these points. Speedy actions must be taken to eradicate these unlawful extortions and guarantee a good and clear system that advantages each nations and their transport sectors.

In keeping with Afghan transporters, whereas, on one hand, Pakistani authorities accumulate hundreds of rupees from them by way of police, customs, and income officers, then again, Afghan transport proprietor associations cost Afghan-bound cargo vans from Pakistan to Afghanistan a day by day payment of 12,000 rupees per truck by way of a card system, which is seen as unfair by transporters. An Afghan transporter, who identifies himself because the president of the Afghan Transport Proprietor Affiliation, collects 12,000 rupees from each truck touring from Peshawar to Torkham, utilizing a card system. The cardboard not solely identifies him because the president but additionally shows his image, together with the peace of mind that nobody, whether or not or not it’s the police, different authorities businesses, and even different vans, will intervene. Apparently, this group isn’t registered with any Pakistani authorities division or authority.

At current, beneath Pak-Afghan commerce and transit, round three thousand trailers and 4 thousand Mazdas transport numerous items to Afghanistan, with day by day routes starting from 300 to a few hundred fifty automobiles. In the course of the NATO period, there was once a day by day crossing of 1000 to 12000 automobiles on the border.

District Police Officer (DPO) Khyber, Salim Abass, claimed that almost all problems with Afghan transporters  have been resolved, wherever that they had difficulties, they’ve been addressed. Customs AC Torgham Rizwan additionally refuted allegations by Afghan transporters, stating that no unlawful collections are produced from Afghan transporters inside the terminal.

In keeping with clearing brokers, because of the blocking of Afghan cargo vans at numerous checkpoints from Peshawar to Torkham for unlawful collections, many goods-laden Afghan vans usually find yourself getting broken. Consequently, Afghan merchants have shifted their enterprise from Pakistan to Iran, Central Asia, and different international locations, which is adversely affecting Pak-Afghan commerce quantity.

In keeping with sources, unauthorized checkpoints arrange in numerous areas of Khyber district and collections of cash from transporters, not solely causes losses to the federal government exchequer but additionally severely impacts commerce between each international locations.