LANDI KOTAL: Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan across the Torkham border remained suspended for the third day on Saturday because of a strike by transporters of both countries against the imposition of a new tax by the Afghan customs authorities.

Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the border as the Afghan authorities refused entry to them without paying the newly imposed ‘land tax’.

Pakistani transporters said every vehicle from here was required to pay 5,000 afghanis, while the Afghan transporters were charged half the amount upon their entry into Afghanistan.

Transporters of both countries rejected the new tax and parked their vehicles on both sides of the border, leading to suspension of trade across the crossing.

Haji Azeemullah Shinwari, president of the local transporters’ union, said he and his Afghan counterpart were holding negotiations with the Afghan authorities to persuade them to withdraw the new tax.

He said the trade between the two countries had already been affected by the imposition of a visa requirement for all Afghans, including transporters, by the government of Pakistan in June.

The border trade remained suspended for almost a week in June after tensions between both countries rose following a firing incident over the construction of a gate at the Torkham border crossing by Pakistani authorities.

The government had implemented a border management policy to control cross-border movement at Torkham on June 1, which required every Afghan national to possess valid travel documents for entering Pakistan.

However, transporters were exempted and allowed to cross the border after presenting a route permit.

According to customs authorities, the trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan was recorded at $267 million during the past four months.

Haji Azeemullah said that imposition of new taxes would affect the trade between the two countries.

According to media reports, the Khyber Transport Association’s president Shakir Afridi said the cargo transporters from both countries had been on strike for the past three days because the additional entry tax levied by Afghanistan was unbearable for them.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2016