Afghan officials say suspending trade activities against social, international norms
- Afghan side raises issue regarding passports, visas of drivers.
- Pakistan says cancer patients facilitated without any delay.
- They ask to relax condition in best interest of businessmen.
LANDIKOTAL: The Pakistani border officials held talks with their Afghanistan counterparts at the Torkham border ‘zero point’ but the talks turned out to be abortive, The News reported citing official sources on Tuesday.
The Pakistani team led by Lt Col Rana Adnan Shafiq of the Frontier Corps included Major Murad, Major Bahlool and Torkham Tehsildar Daud Afridi. The Afghan side comprised Qari Abdul Jabbar Hekmat, Qari Rafiullah, Qari Muhammad and Maulvi Takal.
The meeting discussed several border issues and stressed for resumption of vehicular and pedestrian movements across the border. The Afghan side raised the issue with Pakistani authorities regarding passports and visas for the drivers and helpers of the vehicles. They asked them to relax the condition in the best interest of businessmen and transporters from both countries.
The Afghan officials said that suspending trade activities at Torkham border without any intimation was against the social and international norms that created tension and caused discomfort to traders, patients and other citizens.
They said such practices should not be repeated in future which not only affect neighbouring countries’ relations. The Afghan officials said 90% of Afghan drivers and patients did not possess passports. They said they gave priority to patients to obtain passports and visas who suffer from serious diseases such as cancer, etc. They said Afghan authorities lacked resources to issue the documents and Pakistani authorities should allow patients on a humanitarian basis.
The Afghan officials complained that the reopening of the border and visa issues were getting complicated. They said Afghanistan wanted cordial relations with Pakistan, adding that closing the border without any prior notice would compel Afghanistan to build a wall at the Torkham border crossing to close the passage forever.
The Afghan authorities alleged that the Pakistani Embassy and consulates were rejecting visit visa applications without citing any reasons. Lt Col Adnan told the Afghan officials that the implementation of passport and visa conditions had been pending since November 2, last year. He said Afghan authorities were not cooperating with the Pakistani counterparts on the issue.
He said cancer patients were facilitated to reach the hospitals in Pakistan without any delay. The official said he would convey the Afghan side’s assertions to the relevant departments but said Kabul was not interested in providing data on Afghan drivers and their helpers to the Pakistani Embassy in Afghanistan.
