PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan will formally inaugurate 24/7 service at Torkham Torkham border on September 14, said Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mehmood Khan in a video message on Wednesday.
The CM said on his instruction Torkham Border to be opened for 24 hours for which all arrangements have been completed while all staff will be present for 24 hours.
He said that all the departments have started their work for the opening of the Torkham border for 24 hours that will promote trade with Afghanistan and other in Central Asia countries. He expressed the hope that employment opportunities will increase in Afghanistan and Pakistan and misunderstandings will also end between the two countries.
Mahmood Khan said the same people live on both sides of the border, instead of going to other countries, Afghans should come to Pakistan for trade.
China welcomes 24/7 opening of Torkham border
Chinese ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, appreciated the federal government initiative of opining Torkham border for trade round the clock. He was addressing a two days conference titled ‘China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Trans-Regional Integration’ at the University of Peshawar on Wednesday.
The Ambassador said that it was very important for trade and people to people contacts to open the border for 24/7 and revealed that the China Government has planned to establish cold storage, a hospital and facilities for custom officials on Torkham border.
The conference, arranged by the University of Peshawar, was attended by ambassadors from ten countries. Yao Jing, Special Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan was the Chief Guest at International Conference. Chinese Ambassador expressed happiness to see the seriousness of Central Asia countries in the conference and said the opening of the border will further extend trade to central Asian republics.
‘2,500 cargo cars have benefitted from the night shift so far’
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Finance Minister Taimur Salem Jhagra has said that the move to keep the Torkham border open 24 hours will strengthen the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan and it will help stabilize the economy.
The minister said that Since the Torkham border has been opened for 24 hours, its immediate effects have started and more than 2,500 cargo cars have benefitted from the night shift so far and the number of vehicles crossing the border daily has increased from 586 to 917.
He added that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allocated Rs 70 million to make the border open all week. And the Prime Minister’s Office, National Logistics Cell, Frontier Corps, Federal Investigation Agency, National Database and Registration Authority and the Federal Board of Revenue have made the opening of the border round the clock within six months.
