Officials from both Pakistan and Afghanistan met under a flag meeting to discuss visa requirements for cargo vehicle drivers, but their discussions came up empty. As a result, the Torkham border crossing between the two countries remained closed for a fourth day running on Tuesday.
Commercial vehicle drivers entering Pakistan from Afghanistan are now required to have a visa. The objective of the act was to strengthen security, curb smuggling, and encourage lawful trade between the two countries.
The border shutdown caused hundreds of freight vehicles to become stalled on both sides. Pakistan was also losing around 50 million rupees (about $5 million) daily in revenue. Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan met under the flag to discuss opening the border crossing, but they were unable to reach a consensus.
On November 1, 2023, the federal government mandated that drivers of Afghan freight vehicles obtain a visa, according to security officials. The policy was given to the Afghan government 2.5 months to implement.
Because drivers returning from Afghanistan having misplaced their travel permits, they continued, showing that the Afghan authorities were not taking the measure seriously. Four days ago, the government instituted the visa regime and barred drivers without visas from entering the nation.
Fresh produce importers and exporters Qari Nazeem Gul and Kharij Khan lost tens of millions of rupees worth of perishable goods on more than a hundred lorries when the border crossing was closed.
An anonymous customs official estimated that daily profits of Rs50 million were generated by the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to Haji Azimullah, president of the Torkham Transport Union, a cargo vehicle costs more than Rs15 million.
The four-day border shutdown, according to Azimullah, had an impact on the tyres and engines of the vehicles, but it also cut into the earnings of the labourers, who typically did not receive payment during that time. The vehicles were taken by the carriers on installments.
Torkham Frontier Corps (FC) conference hall was the site of a flag meeting between Afghan and Pakistani security officials to discuss border issues. Meeting with the federal government’s decision to not admit Afghan drivers without a visa, Pakistani forces emphasised they would not budge.
According to Pakistani security officials, Afghan authorities were careless with driver data and didn’t even bother to ask drivers to show their passports. Their main point was that the steps had to be taken in order to curb smuggling and boost legitimate trade between the two countries.
The Afghan government shot back that Afghan drivers could never get a Pakistani visa. Pakistan implemented unique procedures to facilitate two-way travel at the Torkham border following the announcement of the new measures.
