"The US cannot be pressurised by such small moves, however, businessmen and thousands of families will definitely suffer," Pak-Afghan Transit Trade President Ziaul Haq Sarhadi. PHOTO: REUTERS/ FILE
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) protest to halt Nato supplies saw tremendous support from the public on Saturday, but the situation turned from bad to worse for thousands associated with supplying or withdrawing goods from Afghanistan.
Around 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles are supplying goods to foreign troops in Afghanistan and are taking goods back to Karachi via Torkham in the withdrawal process, said Nato Vehicles Association (NVA) Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) President Rafiullah Marwat.
Rafi said around 100,000 people are directly involved in this business in K-P and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The PTI’s stance to stop the supply lines would mean starvation for all these families, argued Rafi. He said it might not affect the US, however, it would prove lethal for Pakistan and its people.
Rafi added PTI and its allies are only politicising the matter to gather sympathies for upcoming local government elections. None of these parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan Peoples Party or PTI – can stop the supply lines because an agreement has been signed by the government of Pakistan, claimed the NVA K-P president.
If the federal government wants to pressurise the US, they should cancel the agreement at once and not halt supplies temporarily as this would not solve anything. “We condemn the drone attacks, but we are also in the business for the sake of our families.”
Rafi insisted the government should devise a policy to stop drones rather than politicising it through dual policies.
He argued the supply will not end up being stopped, but now everyone associated with this business would be targeted by militants. “If the K-P government can provide us all with alternate means of income, we will happily leave the supply business,” claimed Rafi.
K-P Dry Ports Standing Committee Chief and President of Pak-Afghan Joint Transit Trade, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi agreed halting the supply will not do the nation any good, but will badly impact the economy. The protests will prove even worse for transit trade; “No one knows which vehicles carry Nato supplies, and which are for transit trade.”
Sarhadi said the attacks on Nato vehicles, in which a large number of transit trade vehicles were also targeted, compelled traders to change their route. He claimed 80% of trade was now done via Iran, rather than the easier route of Torkham. The remaining 20% trade, which goes via Torkham, will now be in jeopardy, added Sarhadi.
He suggested the PTI should devise a policy to mark Nato containers so as to distinguish them from transit trade containers. Businessmen did not have money for insurance, nor were they economically stable enough to compensate for any losses they might incur, insisted the Pak-Afghan Transit Trade president.
About 200 transit trade trucks have been stuck at the dry port because of this issue, claimed Sarhadi. “The US cannot be pressurised by such small moves, however, businessmen and thousands of families will definitely suffer.”
Published in The Express Tribune, November 24th, 2013.
COMMENTS (13)
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Choking NATO supply routes will affect pakistani media's income.
Imran khan is creating state within the state. How different is it from Lal Masjid issue. People taking law in their own hands and becoming vigilantes.
Imran Khan's party is in government in KPK, They can just pass a bill and legally stop the trucks or instruct police to stop all the trucks. Once you let people take law in their own hands then you cannot control them.
He is creating a foreign policy nightmare for the federal govt, a state within the state.
He should try to block supplies of Talibans and then we will see who is the real terrorists. Even better he should boycott American dollars for his party. He should boycott USA for his party's fund raisers.
What will they do when US will stop these supplies or no truck will go to Afghanistan? nd what they were doing before NATO :P
Loss of lives for drones justify the act of stealing the bread-bakset of masses but when MQM calls for a day of mourning for the killing of their workers, why is that you guys started posing as the rights-protector for these poor labourers? Isn't the loss of life an equal emotional derangement for the deceased families here? P.S I do not supprt drones.
Well they can do a counter dharna and cut the supply to the PTI jalsa.
Dharna dharna everywhere, but not a single bit of result.
I am sure they survived and their families flourished prior to 2002 and will do so after 2014. Its a noble cause and the whole nation should stand up and get behind IK.
Nobody cuts his nose because a fly landed on it. A leader should see both pros and cons while taking a decision. Even Iran is ready to allow NATO shipments from its soil. These political dramas will never be successful. The same people who joined IK will rebel against blocking supply routes. Wait for one week and see the fun.
Don't let this article fool you. Stand united against Drones.
These thousand cost to millions of Pakistani.
Ya for few people, destroy the whole nation. Just like If police work against drug dealers, few people's business also get affected
but for the betterment of a nation these people should suffer.
Whenever we talk of standing against US, these kind of stories make the headline. Seriously? what are these THOUSANDS of families gonna do after 2014? Any word?
To all the traders and their families, when you say in your gatherings that we will eat grass but not bow before the US by voting for the party who promises it, do not cry when it is doing exactly as it promised! This is your chance to eat grass as you promised, seize it!