KHYBER: Customs authorities at Torkham refused to clear trucks loaded with grapes on the pretext that those were not Afghan grapes, according to sources.

They said that fruit importers insisted that they possessed the certificate of origin of grapes issued by the Afghan authorities.

They said that at least 25 vehicles loaded with different varieties of grapes were stranded on Pakistan side of the border as Customs authorities said that those were imported from Central Asian Republics instead of Afghanistan.

Sources said that officials argued that grapes harvesting season had not yet started in Afghanistan.

Fruit dealers said that a similar number of vehicles loaded with Afghan grapes were stationed on the Afghan side of the border, awaiting clearance by Pakistani authorities.

Officials said that some importers of fresh fruits were involved in it as they were trying to avoid Customs duty imposed on fresh fruits imported from Central Asian Republics.

Sources said that officials were demanding the existing stock of arrived grapes to be cleared as imported from Tajikistan or Kirghizstan. But the transporters and local clearing agents were resisting it, they added.

On the other hand transporters and importers refuted these charges and insisted that they were in possession of original certificate of origin of the Afghan grapes they had acquired from Afghan authorities in Kabul.

They demanded of the officials to contact the Afghan authorities by email to establish the authenticity of the certificate.

Shah Jehan, a fruit dealer, said that the move would also affect export of some fresh fruits, especially banana, from Pakistan as Afghan authorities might refuse its clearance on the same pretext.

They alleged that some unseen elements were conspiring to damage the bilateral trade relations between the two neighbouring countries and inflict monetary losses on the local traders and transporters.

They demanded of the relevant officials to immediately contact Afghan authorities about the exact origin of the imported grapes and allow them to take the existing cargo to different destinations in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Bilateral progress
Updated 18 Oct, 2024

Bilateral progress

Dialogue with India should be uninterruptible and should cover all sticking points standing in the way of better ties.
Bracing for impact
18 Oct, 2024

Bracing for impact

CLIMATE change is here to stay. As Pakistan confronts serious structural imbalances, recurring natural calamities ...
Unfair burden
18 Oct, 2024

Unfair burden

THINGS are improving, or so we have been told. Where this statement applies to macroeconomic indicators, it can be...
Successful summit
Updated 17 Oct, 2024

Successful summit

Platforms like SCO present an opportunity for states to set aside narrow differences.
Failed tax target
17 Oct, 2024

Failed tax target

THE government’s plan to document retailers for tax purposes through its ‘voluntary’ Tajir Dost Scheme appears...
More questions
17 Oct, 2024

More questions

THE alleged rape of a student at a private college in Lahore has sparked confusion, social media campaigns, ...