Pak-Afghan borders to open for cargo trucks this month

KABUL (Pajhwok): A Pakistani official says an agreement has been reached between Kabul and Islamabad to allow Afghan and Pakistani trucks to cross borders of the two countries with temporary documents.

Abdul RazzaqDawood, Trade and Investment Advisor of Pakistan, in a tweet on Tuesday said that the move was a historic step towards regional connectivity.

In the tweet, he said, “We wish to share that Pakistan &  Afghanistan have allowed free movement of each other’s trucks between the two countries and cross stuffing w.e.f. 21 March, 2022 viaTemporary Admission Documents (TAD).”

He said Afghan traders could get permission from the Pakistani embassy in Kabul and the Pakistani consulate in Kandahar, and Pakistani traders could get permission from the Afghan consulates in Peshawar and Quetta.

He described the agreement as "historic" and said it would open the door to greater trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Officials of the caretaker government are yet to comment on the regard, but Khan Jan Alokozai, a member of Afghanistan's Chamber of Commerce and Investment, told Pajhwok Afghan News the agreement had been reached between the two countries' commerce ministers.

He said, "Our main problem was that cargo trucks were not allowed to cross border of the two countries, but based on the agreement, the trucks would be allowed to move in and out between the two countries from March 21…”

mds/ma