Transporters and drivers staged a protest sit-in on the Pak-Afghan Highway in Landi Kotal on Wednesday, blocking vehicles carrying returning Afghan families as well as empty trucks heading towards Afghanistan. The demonstration was held at the Takya locality, where protesters demanded the immediate return of more than 800 Pakistani vehicles and their drivers reportedly stranded in Afghanistan for the past eight months due to border restrictions and closures.
Protest Demands
Addressing the protesters, transport leaders Rahman Zeb Afridi, Muhammad Shah Afridi, and representatives of various transport unions stated that repeated negotiations with the relevant authorities had failed to produce any practical solution to the issue. They emphasized that the protest was intended to draw the attention of both Pakistani and Afghan authorities to the difficulties faced by stranded drivers and transport operators.
Threats of Continued Blockade
The protesters warned that until permission was granted for the return of Pakistani drivers and vehicles, they would continue to block vehicles transporting repatriated Afghan families to the border. They also threatened to obstruct the movement of empty trucks returning to Pakistan after transporting the belongings of Afghan returnees.
The transport leaders said many affected drivers and vehicle owners had been facing severe financial hardship due to the prolonged situation and urged officials on both sides of the border to take immediate steps to facilitate their safe return. Participants vowed to continue the sit-in until their demands were met.
The protest disrupted traffic movement on the Pak-Afghan Highway for several hours.
