WANA - The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in South Waziristan tribal district has appealed to Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for assistance in resolving the challenges confronting traders at the Pak-Afghan Angoor Adda border crossing.
In a letter, the chamber urged the Army Chief to promptly take action to address Waziristan’s issues as a matter of utmost importance.
Copies of the letter have been distributed to the Corps Commander Peshawar, the Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the provincial minister for industries and commerce, the chief collector customs, the inspector general of the Frontier Corps-South and the commissioner of Dera Ismail Khan.
The letter underscores the fact that the Pak-Afghan Angoor Adda border crossing is generating substantial daily revenue in the millions of rupees. Furthermore, it stresses that the residents of Waziristan have reaped benefits from commercial and trade activities, which have played a role in restoring peace and tranquillity to the area.
Since the establishment of the Angoor Adda Customs Station in 2020, the letter says, an estimated Rs4 to Rs5 billion have been collected monthly in taxes. However, trade operations at this border crossing have come to a standstill over the past nine months.
The sluggish business activities are attributed to the local civil administration and other officials, according to the letter, resulting in unemployment, poverty, and unrest among the local populace.
The letter also alleges that security forces and other government personnel stationed at the border have posed numerous challenges to transport owners and drivers under the pretext of new vehicle entries.
Consequently, traders have relocated their trade operations away from Angoor Adda, diverting them toward Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, Torkham, and Chaman borders.
