From Our Correspondent
PESHAWAR, OCT 20 /DNA/ – Former President of the Border Chamber of Commerce and Industry Zahid Shinwari has said that traders, transporters and the public on both sides are suffering huge losses due to the closure of the border. He said that there is an annual trade of about one billion dollars between the two countries, while the national treasury is losing Rs 700 to 800 million on a daily basis.
While talking to the media, Zahid Shinwari said that more than a week has passed since the closure of Torkham and other borders, as a result of which there has been a significant increase in the wave of inflation on both sides. According to him, fruits and other goods coming to Pakistan from Afghanistan are stuck at the border, due to which they are spoiling, while the people there are also facing severe difficulties and inflation due to the closure of goods going from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
He further said that after the peace talks in Doha, the capital of Qatar, it was expected that all the borders would be opened immediately so that trade activities could resume, but unfortunately this did not happen.
According to Zahid Shinwari, even in areas of the world where wars are ongoing, borders are not closed but are kept open so that trade is not affected.
He said that if any problem arises, the two governments should sit down and find a solution through negotiations, instead of closing the border, continue trade activities because the border closure is causing huge losses to both countries.
Drivers and Torkham workers are facing severe difficulties due to the closure of the Pak-Afghan Torkham border.
The closure of the Torkham border has badly affected not only trade but also the lives of the general public, workers and drivers. It has been a week since the border was closed, due to which the prices of grapes, pomegranates, apples and other fruits have doubled, while hundreds of vehicles are stranded on various highways.
According to market sources, the price of grapes per kg has increased from Rs 400 to Rs 800, pomegranate from Rs 300 to Rs 600 and apples from Rs 200 to Rs 400 per kg. Traders say that the closure of the Torkham border has affected the supply of fruits and created a shortage in the market. On the other hand, drivers of trucks and trailers parked on the highways told the media that they have been waiting for the border to open for several days and have run out of money for expenses, while the tires of the vehicles are close to being damaged due to the heavy weight. They said that the cost of a pair of tires is more than Rs 100,000, which they cannot afford. At the same time, hundreds of laborers work in Torkham every day, but due to the closure of the border, the stoves of their homes have become cold, and the workers on both sides are forced to starve. According to sources, there are more than 2,500 taxis in Torkham, Landi Kotal and Peshawar whose livelihood depends on the rides coming and going from Afghanistan. When the border is open, they get rides, but during the Torkham closure, all these vehicles are parked in houses or huts, which is affecting the livelihood of hundreds of families.
Traders and transporters have appealed to both governments to end the border tension and restore trade and transportation so that the difficulties of laborers, drivers and traders can be reduced.
According to sources, a ceasefire has been established between Pakistan and Afghanistan and it is expected that the border will be opened soon, which will reduce the prices of other food items including fruits and restore economic activities.
