Round-the-clock Opening Of Torkham Border To Boost Bilateral Trade: Jhagra

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra has said the move to open operation at the Torkham border around the clock will help to give boost to bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Sep, 2019 ) :Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Finance Taimur Saleem Jhagra has said the move to open operation at the Torkham border around the clock will help to give boost to bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Federal and KP government's step would also enhance export to Afghanistan and other regional countries.

In a press statement issued here on Wednesday, the provincial finance minister said that after few days since Torkham border opened 24-7 has resulted immediate impact and more than 2500 cargo vehicles have availed the night shift.

The night shift, well underway, has reduced congestion & increased cargo traffic by 56% and daily vehicle count crossing Torkham has increased from 586 to 917.

Taimur Jhagra said what made the Torkham border 24/7 opening possible was Prime Minister Imran Khan's aspiration, the leadership of Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan and Advisor to PM Shahzad Arbab in the federal government.

He further said the KP government actually gave Rs 70 million to facilitate the operation at Torkham border open round the week, rather than take the easy way out and hide behind the excuse of this being a federal topic.

He said by working together with the Prime Minister's office, National Logistic Cell, Frontier Core, Federal Investigation Agency, National Database & Registration Authority and Federal board of Revenue, we got the Torkham Border open 24-7 within 6 months.

The finance minister said visiting Torkham border last week, he also met with Afghan officials at the line. Clearly both sides agreed on the benefits of this step and Prime Minister Imran Khan also said that Pakistan believes in extending hands of friendship with Afghanistan and other neighbouring countries. He said that crossing points would also be open soon.