Drawdown: Withdrawal from Afghanistan continues through Torkham

LANDI KOTAL:

Nearly a dozen containers loaded with Nato supplies from Afghanistan left for Karachi via the Torkham Border in the last three days. This was confirmed by the security and political administration officials of Khyber Agency.

An official from the paramilitary troops escorting the Nato supplies en route to Pakistan from Afghanistan said that six containers loaded with goods from Nato troops entered Pakistan via Torkham on Saturday and were allowed to go to Karachi. He added that on Monday morning six more containers were allowed to leave for Karachi from Khyber Agency. He claimed that the containers were sealed and they did not know what was inside them. They crossed the last check post of Khyber Agency on Monday afternoon.

Since November 23, 2013, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf set up a protest against the Nato supply route and stopped multiple containers in K-P from entering Khyber Agency or coming back from Afghanistan. This is the second time in three months when containers loaded with goods from Nato troops have reached Pakistan.

An official of the political administration told The Express Tribune that six Nato containers loaded with goods from Afghanistan reached Torkham and were parked at the terminal on November 27. He said that the containers were provided security by the khasadar and paramilitary officials at the terminal.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2014.