PESHAWAR: Directorate of Transit Trade Peshawar is working with Pakistan Railways and business community to chalk out a plan for transporting Afghan transit goods from Karachi to Torkham Border. Till October 15, after taking all stakeholders on board, operations will be initiated for transit of goods through carriage of Pakistan Railways from Karachi to Peshawar and then to Torkham Border.
This was said by additional director trade and transit Peshawar Faiz Mohammed while talking with Customs Today on Monday at Peshawar. Pakistan Railways officers and business representatives of Sarhad Chamber Commerce and Industries met with Director and Additional Directors Transit Trade at Customs House Peshawar.
The meeting held threadbare discussion over the proposed transit trade operation through Pakistan Railways from Karachi to Peshawar and onward dispatch to Torkham for cross-border. Pakistan Railways officers assured that modalities of the proposed transit trade operation would be finalized by October 15, 2019 .
Additional Director trade and transit further said that Afghan Transit from Karachi to Torkham is being carried through privately owned 20-40 wheelers which are more exposed to malpractices and frequent acts of arson. A huge amount is being spent on the maintenance of road and security of trucks to ensure safe passage to the convoys but such expenditure often goes to waste due to recurring incidents of pilferages, accidents and sabotage.
Railways should take over this trade from the present system using convoys on roads as it would be safe, speedy and economic as Railways is equipped with the necessary paraphernalia including track, manpower and warehouse network of a dependable nature.
It would take the Railways eight to ten haulages to cater to the needs of the Afghan Transit Trade. By shifting the ongoing business to the Railways, precious resources will be saved while roads would be made safer for the ever increasing traffic.
The Directorate of Pakistan Afghanistan transit and trade insured the business community that proper work will be carried out in order to facilitate importers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The additional director trade transit added that facilities of storage and transportation has been provided at Dry Port Peshawar adjacent to Peshawar Rail way station.
The business community informed that carriage of goods through railway will benefit benefit national revenue collection. The operations through railways has been suspended from years and efforts needed for its revival.
