Pak-Afghan border: Three more registration centres set up at Torkham

LANDI KOTAL:

The government has established three more registration centres at Torkham, increasing the total to eight. The move was made to improve border management between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Political Tehsildar Shamsul Islam told The Express Tribune on Tuesday, 4,000 Afghan nationals entering Pakistan from Torkham Border were registered on the first day of extended facilities. He added at least 20,000 individuals who enter Pakistan from Afghanistan on a daily basis are registered. The tehsildar hoped more would be registered in coming days.



Shamsul Islam said additional registration centres for Afghans were established keeping in view the security situation and after the deadly terrorist attack at Bacha Khan University earlier this year.

Connecting people

He shared on the request of traders, businessmen, transporters and commission agents, the government established a 200-line telephone exchange. So far, 145 lines of the new exchange have been secured by customers.

Shamsul Islam pointed out the new telephone exchange will help people in the region get online banking as well as trading facilities with Karachi and the rest of the country.

Earlier, Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed said in addition to Torkham and Chaman, the present government established two other trade routes with Afghanistan. Of them one was at Tari Mangal in Kurram Agency and the other at Angoor Adda, South Waziristan.

He added another trade route which was set up in Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan will be made operational after the army operation wraps up in the region.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th,  2016.