Afghan children being used for smuggling at Torkham: report

PESHAWAR: Afghan children are being used as tools for carrying out smuggling activities at the Pakistan-Afghan border at Torkham after Islamabad fenced the border and imposed stricter measures against smuggling, officials told The News.

Custom officials told the publication that children are put at risk after they are forced to hide in the undercarriage of trucks to cross the border. As a result, fatal accidents have started taking place more frequently.

The officials noted that the use of kids to smuggle goods have reduced Pak-Afghan trade. Nonetheless, Pakistan has tried to counter the problem by taking multiple steps, including the opening of the border for 24 hours to monitor the situation more carefully.

Unconfirmed reports regarding the alleged involvement of the Afghan border police in facilitating the smuggling of goods through children have also surfaced. 

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Besides, whenever the Frontier Corps (FC) take action against the move, they have to face problems from pressure groups. At times, Afghan officials close the international border in protest and demand Pakistani authorities to facilitate the process smuggling via children, the report said.

Sources added that when children are stopped, they often hurl abuses and throw stones at FC soldiers. 

Afghans continue to trespass the Torkham border illegally instead of obtaining a Pakistani visa that is issued free-of-charge by Pakistan's diplomatic missions in Afghanistan.   

Originally published in The News