PESHAWAR, June 7: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) revived two customs checkposts on Afghanistan border in Kurram Agency after five years, an official said here Thursday.

Spokesman for Collectorate of Customs Naeem Bukhari said that the checkposts at Kharlachi and Borki, some 20 kilometres west of Parachinar, were revived for bilateral trade with Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The spokesman said that revival of these checkposts would promote peace and business activities in the area, adding that restoration of international trade via Kurram showed that normalcy had returned to the area.

In this connection, a ceremony was held which was attended by Political Agent Shahab Ali Shah, Assistant Collector Customs Division, Kohat, Tahir Iqbal Khattak and notables of the area.

The FBR had notified Kharlachi, Borki, Tari Mangal and Shaheedan Dand areas in Kurram Agency for trade with Afghanistan. These four checkposts remained closed for bilateral trade since 2007 because of lawlessness and closure of Thall-Parachinar Road.

After the Torkham checkpost in Khyber Agency, Kurram was the second largest trade route with Afghanistan and adjacent Central Asian Republics before the violence broke out. Kurram shares its borders with Khost, Paktia and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan.