PESHAWAR: Peshawar customs collector Qurban Ali Khan inaugurated a passenger facilitation centre at Torkham on Tuesday.

At the centre, the people traveling to and from Afghanistan will produce valid travel documents and luggage for checking to get permission to continue with the journey.

The government has made it mandatory for all such passengers to produce valid passport from May 1.

Staff at centre to check travel papers, luggage of people travelling to and from Afghanistan

The Pakistan Customs said it had made necessary arrangements to check passengers and their luggage on their way to and from Afghanistan.

It said a modern scanning machine had been installed on the border, while five women had been hired to check the documents of women passengers and their luggage.

On the occasion, Qurban Ali said the scanning machine and other necessary measures would help check the smuggling of arms, contraband items, currencies and goods.

The customs collector informed the participants that the machine had been installed on the orders of the Supreme Court, which had sent a special commission to inspect arrangements of checking at Torkham border last month.

He said installation of scanning machine for checking of travelers’ luggage was part of efforts of the federal government to comply with international obligations of improving border management.

The customs collector said Pakistan Customs was striving for the computerisation of its operations and use of modern technology in checking of goods.

“Presently, around 90 percent of trade from Pakistan including import and export has been computerized for which the WeBOC (Web Based Online Customs) had been introduced and installed at all important border points in the province and Fata,” he said.

Mr. Qurban also said improvement in the checking system at Torkham had been taken in the wake of the directions of the Supreme Court, which had ordered the installation of modern system for checking of travelers and their luggage.

He said thousands of people crossed Pak-Afghan border on daily basis and there was quite difficult to check all of them properly.

He expressed the hope that with the support and cooperation of political authorities of Khyber Agency, officials of Khyber Rifles, Frontier Corps and National Logistic Cell, the Pakistan Custom would be able to hold proper checking of all travelers.

While referring to the concerns of people from across the border, over increased checking and making border passage mandatory through valid travel documents, Qurban Ali said all measures were taken for improving border management and not to create difficulties for passengers.

On the occasion, NLC deputy controller Faisal Maqsood said the establishment of the Passenger Facilitation Centre was part of the first phase of the Torkham border improvement project.

He said the NLC was working on a modern Custom Complex, which would have all facilities including scanning of fully loaded trucks.

Khyber Agency assistant political agent Rahimullah Mehsud said the government officials are in touch with the relevant authorities in Afghanistan for improvement of border checking at Torkham.

He said from May 1, 2016, onwards, no one would be allowed to enter Pakistan without having passport and visa.

Meanwhile, Frontier Customs Clearing Agents Group chairman Ziaul Haq Sarhadi hailed the installation of scanner machine on the border saying it would ensure proper checking of travelers and their documents.

He demanded installation of goods trucks scanners for expediting trade goods clearance, which, he said, took a long time to the misery of businessmen.

However, head of local clearing agents Zarqeeb Shinwari said the facilitation centre would increase problems for passengers and clearing agents as well.

He said the centre won’t help the government check smuggling.

Taxi drivers Naheed Shah and Abidullah said they used to transport passengers from Torkham to various parts of the country but the strict document checking would definitely badly affect their business.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2016