The bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has entered a new phase with the implementation of a new border trading system introduced by Pakistan. According to Pakistani officials, under the new plan Temporary Admission Document (TAD) was being issued at border points to facilitate speedy bilateral trade between the two countries, traders said.
The first Afghan vehicles having TAD cleared at the Kharlachi border crossing in Kurram tribal district, a senior member of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) told media.
In March, Pakistan and Afghanistan had reached an introduction of the TAD for trade vehicle drivers in talks in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, coordinator of PAJCCI for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the Pakistani embassy in Kabul had issued TAD to Afghan drivers and cleaners.
The Afghan Ministry of Industries and Commerce has said that Afghan trucks carrying commercial goods have entered Pakistan for the first time under a new system that involves temporary entry permits.
The Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that according to the new agreement between Kabul and Islamabad, Afghan trucks can enter Pakistan on these permits and that drivers do not need visas or passports to cross into the country.
These new temporary permits are being issued to Afghan truck drivers by the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul.
“We have reached an agreement with the Pakistani authorities to expand trade and exports between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and by the end of this year, drivers from both sides will be able to transport goods without visas,” said Abdulsalam Akhundzada, spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
On the other hand, the Afghan consulate in Peshawar will issue the same documents to Pakistani transporters.
An Afghan diplomat said an official from Kabul had arrived at the consulate to issue the TAD to Pakistani transporters.
