LANDIKOTAL: Several
Transporters and traders in Khyber Agency on Sunday staged a
protest against ‘extortion’ being demanded by
Afghan security personnel at various checkpoints in Afghanistan.
Khyber
Transporters Union leaders led the
protest in Takia area on main Pak-Afghan Highway in Landikotal where hundreds of
Transporters and locals had gathered. The protesters, holding placards and banners, chanted slogans against the
Afghan officials.
Speaking on the occasion,
Transporters union leaders including Shakir Afridi, Attaullah Afridi and Mustaqil Afridi criticised the
Afghan officials for their misbehaviour with Pakistani truckers. They said when Pakistani
Transporters enter Afghanistan via Torkham,
Afghan police start looting them.
Shakir said
Afghan officials illegally collected around Rs40,000 from each Pakistani vehicle at various checkposts. The protesters said they were tortured by the
Afghan police when they refused to pay the money. They said
Afghan authorities tore their national identity cards in Afghanistan several times.
Attaullah said several Pakistani truck drivers had been brutally tortured by
Afghan police on return from Afghanistan recently. The
Transporters threatened that they would be compelled to take extreme measures on their own if the
Afghan government did **t take action against the
harassment of Pakistanis till August 25.
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