KP CM Urged to Step Down Over Failure to Restore Bilateral Trade With Afghanistan
KHYBER: Participants of a protest against the prolonged closure of the Torkham border on Sunday called for the resignation of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister, accusing him of failing to effectively push for the restoration of bilateral trade with Afghanistan.
Speakers at the protest said Khyber’s elected representatives, including two senators, an MNA, three MPAs and the provincial chief minister, had failed to take effective steps to secure the reopening of the Torkham border.
They alleged that the border had remained closed for more than 10 months, causing financial, physical and psychological hardships for thousands of people dependent on cross-border trade. They called on the provincial government and elected representatives to resign if they were unable to advocate for reopening the crossing.
The speakers criticised the government for limiting its response to social media statements, saying the issue had not been adequately raised in the National Assembly, provincial assembly or Senate. They also claimed that the provincial government had yet to determine the reasons and authority behind the prolonged closure.
The protesters urged the provincial government to organise rallies demanding the reopening of Torkham, similar to its other political demonstrations.
According to the speakers, the closure has left hundreds of labourers and daily wagers without employment and caused substantial losses to traders and transporters.
They also questioned the closure of the crossing despite the federal government spending millions of rupees to construct a modern border terminal aimed at facilitating trade with Afghanistan and Central Asian countries. They called for a political solution to ensure bilateral trade continues while security concerns are addressed.
