Arandu border to open for trade in March: official
PESHAWAR: The Arandu customs check post in Lower Chitral will be made functional in March to start trade with Afghanistan and other countries, said collector customs Muhammad Saleem.
He said the check post will be equipped with special security, internet facility and electricity. It will be made fully operational in March from where export and import could be done through web-based system.
Presiding over a meeting here at Customs House, he said Arandu border station would connect Pakistan with the Central Asian States and Afghanistan.
He said weighbridges would be installed by the customs department at the check post to facilitate customs clearance, adding the 18-room Arandu border station office would be completed soon while work on construction of a road to the post would be completed soon.
During the meeting, FPCCI Coordinator Sartaj Ahmad Khan said opening of Arandu border station would boost industry and trade in Chitral besides generating employment opportunities.
He said Arandu border station would also be used as a part of CPEC project.
Commissioner Malakand Division Syed Zaheer Islam thanked the customs and other departments for opening the Arandu border station and assured them of full cooperation from the administration.
Chitral now 2 Districts (Lower/upper) of MALAKAND Division in KPK are the Districts that connect Pakistan to Afghanistan (Kunar) through Arandu, to Badakhshan through Shahsaleem Durahpass, to Wakhan through Broghel Pass quite safely. Broghel Pass has been quite a safe way for businessmen; Hajis comming from Tajikistan, Turkmanistan, Kirghiztan also used to travel through this route down Pakistan and back in the past.
How could Arandu border station connect Pakistan with Central Asian States? Simply consult a map and you may realize a local connection only to Afghan Konar province – totally unsafe not only for foreigners. If you really want a road connection towards Central Asian States, you must construct a road fom Booni to Vakhan, e.g. across Boroghil Pass or through a tunnel from Arkari Gol to Ishkashim.
Regards from senior geologist at Lowari Tunnel construction 2007-2009, retired Ass. Prof. at Institute of Risk Research, Vienna, Austria, Hon. Prof. at University of Geology and Mining, Kyrgyzstan.
This is all good but security. We can only hope that ISIS type of movements will be strictly checked at bay. Mind you opening porous borders with this vicious country is not without heavy toll on the security given the current regional political scenario and the efforts of powerful players to foil the CPEC activities.