PESHAWAR: Advisor to Prime Minister Imran Khan on Establishment Shahzad Arbab said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed to do away with practice of ‘letter of permission’ and allow smooth entry to Afghans on valid visas.
“Federal cabinet took notice of complaints of illegal extortion of money from incoming Afghans on Torkham border. PM directed to do away with practice of permission letter and allow smooth entry on valid visas,” Arbab said in a Twitter post.
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Since the Taliban takeover in mid-August, the Pakistan authorities have been asking the Afghans traveling to Pakistan for visas as well as another letter, called a “border pass,” which has exacerbated the plight of Afghans. They have complaint that they were not only spending huge amount on visa and border pass but the border guards are also demanding hefty brides.
Arbab said that the Pakistani cabinet had discussed complaints of illegal payments from Afghans arriving in Torkham. According to him, the Prime Minister has directed the concerned agencies to allow only Afghans to enter Pakistan on visas without permission. Currently, tens of thousands of Afghans are waiting in Torkham to cross into Pakistan. It is not yet unknown when the Prime Minister’s order will be implemented.
After the Taliban takeover, they have closed Torkham – the busiest border crossing – border point several times, demanding the Pakistan government to provide restrictions free entry to Afghans. The border was reopened after dialogue with Pakistani officials. Traders and other business people in Torkham say the Taliban have blocked the border crossing by placing containers on the road, after which pedestrian traffic and commercial activities have been suspended.
A day earlier, the Prime Minister of the Taliban’s interim government in Afghanistan, Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, had a joint meeting with the special envoys of Russia, China and Pakistan to Afghanistan. Akhund had asked Pakistan to take steps to ease the plight of Afghans living in Pakistan in addition to facilitating bilateral movement at the Torkham and Chaman border crossings.