LANDI KOTAL: The PakAfghan Liaison Committee has renewed its demand for early release of more than 2,000 empty containers and trucl(s held by the Afghan authorities at their side of the border for over a month.

A statement issued here on Monday by the PALC said that the unlawful detention of empty vehicles was not only causing Pakistani traders and transporters huge financial losses but it also affecting export of goods to Afghanistan along with transportation of foreign goods lying at the Karachi port.

The PALC statement alleged that Afghan border authorities were unlawfully demanding Rs50,000 for the release of one empty container that was an additional financial burden on both transporters andlocaltraders.

The PALC demanded of the Afghan government to immedi-ately abolish 15 per cent taxes imposed on Pakistani transporters and traders under import and export levies along with parl(ing charges imposed on vehicles at the Afghan border.

The statement said that committee members held a meeting with the officials of directorate of transit trade that was also attended by officials of custom collectorate and Afghan consulate in Peshawar to assess the gravity of the situation and convey the grievances of traders and transporters to them.

The meeting was told that the illegal detention of Pakistani vehicles at Afghan side of Torkham border also caused increase in freight charges of bonded carriers from Rs250,000 to Rs400,000 during the last four weeks. It also adversely affected Afghan transit trade from Karachi via the Torl(ham border. Correspondent