Protest against custom officials at Torkham

Custom clearance agents protest against custom officials at Torkham.

The All Custom Clarence Agents’ association held a protest demonstration at Torkham against the officials of the Torkham Custom. A clerk of the custom staff reportedly abused and insulted one of the clearance agents for entering into his office early in the morning, which provoked the custom clearance agents at Torkham. They held a protest demonstration against the custom officials particularly the senior clerk Peer Zahirudin for his misconduct with the local people. The protest lasted for many hours which delayed the process of the clearance of the documents for crossing the border. Later the political administration intervened to pacify the situation. The clearance agents’ union gave a week long deadline for the transfer of the alleged clerk, otherwise, they warned to restart their protest and to stop clearance of the documents at Torkham.

It is worth mentioning that large number of drivers have also blamed the custom staffers for taking huge bribes from the truckers openly on the man road without any justification and legitimacy. A senior custom official had once argued that his subordinates were collecting the money from the truckers so that they could run their kitchen where large numbers of people were being fed.