LANDIKOTAL: The transporters from Pakistan and Afghanistan on Tuesday observed wheel-jam strike against the tax collection by Pakistan and Afghan border authorities at Torkham border.
Hundreds of loaded and empty trucks were parked on both sides of the Torkham border to protest the tax collection from the trucks entering Afghanistan. Afghan Transporters Union President Tila Muhammad told The News that Afghan border authorities charged Rs10,000 from each truck entering Afghanistan. Sources said one transporter was killed and three others wounded in Dakah area of Afghanistan when Afghan police opened indiscriminate fire on the protesters. The sources said the Afghan border police forced the protesters to disperse and end call off protest.
Terming the tax collection unfair, Tila Muhammad maintained that personnel of the Frontier Corps (FC) and Khassadar force manning Michini, Ziaray, Prang Sum, Bagrari and Takhtabeg checkposts in Khyber Agency collectively took Rs17,000 tax from each Afghanistan-bound truck. He said Afghan authorities at the behest of Afghan transporters also imposed tax on the Pakistani truckers and collected Rs10,000 from each lorry.
He said the transporters would continue the strike if the issue was not resolved. An Afghan trader Abdul Rehman asked the Pakistani government to exempt Afghan drivers and their helpers from having visas. He said that Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul and consulates in Afghan cities should issue gate passes to the Afghan transporters as it would help increase trade volume between the two countries. All Pakistan Transporters Union also expressed solidarity with the Afghan transporters and observed strike on the Pakistan’s side of the border.
Shakir Afridi, President of the union, told reporters that truckers had stopped transporting goods to Afghanistan. He said around 500 loaded trucks were parked near the Torkham border. Meanwhile, hundreds of trucks loaded with fresh fruit, vegetables, construction material and other goods were seen on both sides of the Pak-Afghan highway in Landikotal and Jamrud.
The Pak-Afghan transporters threatened that if Pakistan and Afghanistan governments didn’t withdraw the “illegal taxes” they would continue their wheel-jam strike. When contacted, Political Tehsildar in Torkham Shamsul Islam said that they had held several rounds of talks with the Afghan authorities and transporters to settle down the issue at the earliest.https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/171781-Pak-Afghan-transporters-observe-wheel-jam-strike
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