KHYBER AGENCY: The goods transporters of Pak-Afghan Transit Trade Route have blamed the clearing agents for receiving illegal money from the Afghanistan returning trucks on Torkham border.
The office-bearers of the Combined Truck Dealer and Welfare Association, including Musthaqil Afridi, Janes Afridi, Haji Nasrullah, Hikmat Shah and others, said every Afghanistan returning trailer has to pay Rs1300 per truck. They added that on refusal, they could not clear the stamp from the customs center Torkham as all the clearing process is done by the clearing agents.
We repeatedly tried our best to meet the cabinet members of Torkham clearing Agents Association but the president of the union for one reason or the other was reluctant to initiate the meeting with us.
The transporters maintained that they conveyed their grievance to the Deputy Collector (DC) Torkham who expressed his ignorance about the collecting of illicit money from the trucks and said the customs has nothing to do with it as the matter is between the transporters and the clearing agents.
When President of Clearing Agents Association Torkham Hayatullah was constantly contacted, his cell no.0301899896 was found switched off.
They appealed the political administration, the custom high-ups and a member of the parliament to have mercy on them and address their problem.
They also threatened with a wheel-jam strike if clearing agents did not stop fleecing the transporters till 24th of May.
