Beside frequent terrorist acts, the indifferent attitude on the part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police is considered another reason for discouraging the supplies to the US-led allied troops stationed in Afghanistan through Pakistan.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police do not allow the truckers to move in the afternoon. The vehicles are allowed to enter Khairabad, the post at the border between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, only from the early hours of morning till noon while they must leave Hayatabad area of Peshawar before the sunset.
Some top officials, when contacted, said the provincial government had made these arrangements while keeping in view the terrorism threats around two years back.
But some of the transporters complained that the policemen were now misusing these instructions and they did not allow the NATO vehicles in the morning as well.
The transporters, mostly belonging to the tribal belt, say oil tankers, trailer and other heavy vehicles loaded with NATO supplies are firstly not allowed to enter Khairabad and forcibly returned if they reach in Nowshehra and the outskirts of Peshawar. Sometimes, the police demand hefty amount in bribe from the drivers.
The transporters have lodged complaints to higher authorities but the concerned quarters are yet to realise their responsibilities in this respect.
It may be mentioned that after frequent terrorist attacks on NATO supplies in various parts of Pakistan, the allied countries have already diverted 40 percent of cargo to the routes from the Central Asian Republics.
The US is planning to increase the ratio to 70 percent by the end of current calendar year. Similarly, it is also making attempts to shift the remaining 30 percent supplies to other routes, including Bandar Abbas, a port in Iran.
The local transporters and businessmen fear a worsening scenario with the Afghan traders following the NATO’s course of action regarding the imports from other countries. If Afghan transit trade is shifted to other routes, it could cause irreversible loss to the thousands of transporters, businessmen and commission agents. Thousands of others from Karachi to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chaman are also earning their livelihood from Afghan transit trade.
