Khyber – More than 800 trucks that had remained stranded in Afghanistan for the past eight months have been permitted to enter Pakistan through the Torkham border from Wednesday, officials and transporters confirmed on Tuesday.
Background of the Border Closure
On October 12 last year, the Pak-Afghan border was closed to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic after armed clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces. As a result, hundreds of Pakistani trucks that had transported commercial and transit goods to Afghanistan were left stranded across the border.
Negotiations Lead to Breakthrough
Transport union representatives, tribal elders, and political figures, including Rehman Zeb Afridi, Iqbal, and Mufti Ijaz, revealed that they had held more than ten meetings with Pakistani and Afghan officials to seek permission for the stranded truck drivers to return to Pakistan. “Finally, we succeeded in convincing both sides, and officials of the two countries have now allowed the stranded drivers to bring their vehicles back to Pakistan through the Torkham crossing,” they stated.
Implementation Details
According to the representatives, the arrangement will be implemented from Wednesday, with truck movements allowed from 8:00am to 2:00pm. The crossing schedule will then be followed by vehicles carrying repatriated Afghan families returning to Afghanistan. The arrangement will continue until all 800 stranded trucks have crossed into Pakistan.
The stranded drivers have been instructed to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy, and the first batch of trucks is expected to enter Pakistan on Wednesday morning.
Appreciation and Hope
The transport community, tribal elders, and the families of the stranded drivers appreciated the efforts of the district administration, Commissioner Peshawar Riaz Mehsud, and officials of the Afghan Consulate General for their positive role in resolving the issue. They expressed hope that the authorities would continue to assist local transporters and address their problems with the same commitment and spirit in the future.
