ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The Pakistani government has begun implementing a plan that allows Afghan transporters to enter Pakistan using a Temporary Admission Document (TAD) to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries, according to reports from Pakistani media.
Dawn reported that Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, coordinator of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, confirmed the first Afghan vehicles with TADs were cleared at the Kharlachi border crossing in Kurram tribal district. He noted that the Pakistani embassy in Kabul had issued TADs to Afghan drivers and cleaners.
Similarly, the Afghanistan consulate in Peshawar will issue the same documents to Pakistani transporters, Dawn reported, citing Taliban Consul General Hafiz Mohibullah. Mohibullah disclosed that a Taliban official from Kabul had arrived at the consulate to facilitate the issuance of TADs to Pakistani transporters.
Sarhadi described the initiative as “good news for bilateral trade,” although he pointed out that transporters involved in the transit of goods were not included in the TAD system.
In March, Pakistan and the Taliban agreed to introduce TADs for trade vehicle drivers during talks in Kabul. The Taliban consular noted that cargo vehicles from both countries can now travel to any city within Pakistan and Afghanistan. This initiative was developed during a visit by former Pakistani Commerce Secretary Mohammad Khurrum Agha to Afghanistan from March 24-27, where he discussed bilateral trade and transit with Taliban Commerce Minister Nooruddin Azizi.
