Government decides to bring stranded Nato containers back to Karachi

The federal government has decided to bring back all the Isaf/Nato containers from Chamman and Torkham borders to Karachi for placing them in a safe and secure place to prevent any incident of stealing or burning of the containers.
It has been reliably leant here on Thursday that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued instructions to the Model Customs Collectorates (MCCs) of Peshawar and Quetta to bring back all the Nato containers to Karachi, which are stuck-up on their way to Chamman and Torkham borders.
In this regard an option has been given to the concerned authorities to bring back their containers to Karachi in view of current security situation. These containers are loaded with goods to be supplied to the international forces in Afghanistan, but have been stuck up for many days following Pakistan decision to halt Nato supplies in wake of last month's Salala border post attack. The Nato containers which are also stuck up on their way to Pak-Afghan borders would also be called back to Karachi, sources said.
In this connection, the FBR has issued instructions to the Customs Stations of Chamman and Torkhum for compliance till further orders of the Board. Sources said that the instructions would specifically be enforced for the Nato containers to clear the blockage of containers on the roads and highways to Torkham and Chamman customs stations. At present, trucks/trailers loaded with containers and oil tankers, which were on way to Afghanistan through Torkham and Chamman before the imposition of the embargo, are stranded because they are not allowed to cross the Pak-Afghan border.
Presently, there is no official restriction on clearance of Afghan commercial cargo under the Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). The government as a policy decision has stopped clearance of Nato containers destined for Afghanistan. Due to shortage of trailers and blockage on highways, the routine clearance of Afghan transit trade consignments has come to a stand still position.