Abdul Hadi Mayar Islamabad
Pakistan re-imposed its one-document regime for Afghan citizens on Thursday as the grace period granted till July 31 ended.
Customs officials at Torkham border are reported to have denied entry to Afghan truck driver today due to which long queues of trucks were witnessed standing on either side of the border.
Pakistan had, in line with the national Apex Committee decision, imposed the One-Document-Regime for Afghan nationals in November last year, under which any Afghan could enter Pakistan only on possession of a valid Afghan passport.
Border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan had, for decades, remained unregulated due to the conflicts in Afghanistan. Nationals from both sides were required only to show their national identity cards for crossing the border.
The denial of entry into Pakistan brought trade and road transport between the two countries today as the Torkham and Chaman border gates were kept shut for week, badly affecting bilateral trade.
