Increase font size Decrease font size Reset font size

Customs terminal at Torkham to be built in four years

By Our Correspondent 2017-05-17
LANDI KOTAL: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Customs Collector Qurban Ali Khan has said that design of a modern Customs terminal at Torkham has been finalised. Talking to a delegation of local clearing agents, transporters and traders on Monday, he said that Asian Development Bank released Rs12 billion for the terminal, which would be completed within four years.

He said that they were trying to provide all possible facilities to transporters and traders so that import and export with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries could be increased. He said that prime minister was likely to lay the foundation stone of the terminal within few weel(s.

Mr Khan said they held many rounds of talks with Afghan officials to expedite documentation and clearance process of more than 8,000 stranded trucks on Afghanistan side of the border. `Arrangements have also been made to keep Torkham border open two hours beyond its scheduled closing time every day to clear the backlog,` he added.

The official said that imposition of newly formulated border management policy caused decline in imports and exports between Pakistan and Afghanistan but it was an integral part of National Action Plan. `It is meant to ensure the security of our soil at all costs,` he added.

He dispelled the impression that government was involved in the artificial shortage of trucks and said that owing to some unknown reasons thousands of trucks both empty and loaded got struck in Afghanistan in the recent past.

`On the request of local agents for improving business activities at Torkham border, the Customs authorities have only recently issued 30 fresh import and export licences to local traders,` said Mr Khan.