PESHAWAR — The Peshawar High Court has directed federal and provincial authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, along with law enforcement agencies, to inspect Afghan trade trucks only at designated checkpoints and to stop extorting money from transporters.
According to Dawn, a two-member bench consisting of Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Sabitullah Khan issued the order while disposing of a petition filed by Mohammad Noor Ahmadzai, president of the Afghan Transport Union. Ahmadzai had sought an end to what he called “rampant extortion” by security and anti-narcotics officials under the pretext of inspections.
The court noted that after extensive arguments, all parties agreed that inspections should be conducted solely at checkpoints along national highways from Karachi to Torkham. Authorities were instructed to avoid unnecessary delays and to prevent the misuse of security and anti-narcotics checks as a means of extortion.
Pakistan remains a critical trade route for Afghanistan, but Afghan traders have repeatedly complained about obstacles imposed by Pakistani authorities, which they say hinder their businesses.
