PESHAWAR: On Friday, truck owners expressed concern over more than 2,000 trucks that have been stranded in Afghanistan for over a month after transporting Afghan nationals returning to their homeland.
Latif Gul, President of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mini Mazda Truck Owners Association, said that Afghan authorities have not allowed the trucks to return, leaving hundreds of Pakistani drivers and conductors stuck across the border in difficult conditions. “Our drivers have been away from their homes for a month, while truck owners have already exhausted their earnings to meet daily expenses,” he added.
Gul stated that delays at the border have increased operational costs, leading to higher fares for vehicles traveling to Afghanistan. He warned that under these circumstances, truck owners and drivers would no longer be willing to transport passengers to Afghanistan.
He also cautioned that if the issue is not resolved immediately, the association will be compelled to block Ring Road in Peshawar and halt the movement of all containers bound for Afghanistan. He urged both the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to ensure the immediate repatriation of the stranded vehicles and drivers.
