Afghanistan
2.3.3 Afghanistan Land Border Crossing of Torkham (Pakistan)
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Overview

Torkham is one of the major international border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It connects Afghanistan's Nangarhar province with Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the busiest port of entry between the two countries, serving as a major transporting, shipping, and receiving site. Torkham is the entry point for most goods entering to the Central and Eastern Regions through the port of Karachi in Pakistan. Pakistan has completed the construction of a border gate, crossing terminal, and other associated infrastructure on its side of Torkham border in July 2016. The border gate is called Bab-i-Pakistan and the crossing terminal is called the Shaheed Major Ali Jawad Changezi Terminal.

Border Crossing Location and Contact

Name of Border Crossing

Torkham Border

Province or District

Mohmandra District of Nangarhar

Nearest Town or City with Distance from Border Crossing

Jalalabad City (72.8 km)

Latitude

34.122267

Longitude

71.093725

Managing Authority / Agency

Afghanistan Custom Department

Contact Person

Torkham Border Manager

Travel Times

Nearest International Airport

Jalalabad International Airport (75.1 km)

Truck Travel Time: 2 hr 30 minutes

Car Travel time: 1 hr 30 minutes

Nearest Port

Karachi Port. Pakistan (1425 km)

Other Information


En route to the  Torkham border to Jalalabad there are many fueling stations, hotels, and only one weighing bridge.

Hours of Operation

Mondays

24 hrs

Tuesdays

24 hrs

Wednesdays

24 hrs

Thursdays

24 hrs

Fridays

24 hrs

Saturdays

24 hrs

Sundays

24 hrs

National Holidays

 

21 March (Nawroz)

6 – 8 July (Eid-ul-Fitr)

18 August (Independence Day)

10 – 12 September (Eid-ul-Adha)

11 October (10th of Muharam)

12 December (Prophet’s Birthday)

Seasonal Constraints

Climate is hot desert. It receives six to eight inches (152 to 203 mm) of rainfall per annum, which are limited to winter and the months of spring. Frosts are not common, and during the summer, the mercury can reach a maximum of 120°F (49°C). The roads are fully accessible during the all season of year. Climate/seasonal constrains are not affecting the road accessibility.

Daily Capacity

The Jalalabad-Torkham road is very important trade and transport links with Pakistan. A significant share of Afghanistan's export and import trade is carried over this road. According to the traffic count survey, the average daily traffic volume on Torkham border link road is 1390 passages, out of which 79% are trucks. Buses and private vehicles represent the remaining. After years of conflict, Afghanistan’s customs and border management infrastructure and capacity have suffered severe setbacks. Today, a large group of bilateral and multilateral donors are involved in strengthening the capacity of the Government to effectively manage its borders. This joint effort has resulted in:

  • reducing customs clearance time for trucks from 428 minutes to around 90 minutes
  • increasing trade volumes by 300% from USD 2 billion to USD 8 billion, according to World Bank estimates
  • enhancing customs revenue collection almost 700% from USD 50 million to nearly USD 400 million

Customs Clearance

Due to lack of space the customs clearance formalities are currently executed in Jalalabad.

Incoming trucks must present a stamped document (T1 form, formerly known as Ilmo Khabar) to the Border Police before going through customs clearance. The T1 form is a cargo declaration required when importing goods into Afghanistan. It is issued by the Ministry of Finance and distributed by the Department of Customs in Afghanistan and/or Trade Commission Secretariat in Peshawar. It contains the importer's name, place of arrival and destination, desired location of customs clearance and cargo type and weight.

The Transit Permit is a mandatory document. Afghan trucks entering Pakistan must obtain the transit permit from  Pakistan embassy in Kabul and Pakistani trucks entering Afghanistan must obtain a road pass at the Afghan Trade Representative in Peshawar.

Challenges and waiting time are represented by the numerous controls at the border.

At each port, consignments are often delayed up to one week before it can be declared. Container shipments from a third country moving across the Pakistan-Afghan border is dictated by the Afghan Trade and Transport Agreement (ATTA) which has many shortcomings, including monopoly of the Pakistan railway and the inspection of goods and facilities for Afghan trucks. An Afghan Trade and Transit Invoice (ATTI) is needed in addition to the T1 form to pass through border posts and obtain clearance at ICDs. Road pass authorization is also needed from the Afghan Embassy.


The following is a step-by-step description of the Border Procedures at Torkham:

  1. Immigration: Passport, visa and vehicle documents check for foreign vehicles.
  2. Weighing: Record weight on a weight slip: Total weight, less tare weight = Cargo weight. Procedure may lead to importing extra traffic unofficially by mis-declaring the tare weight.
  3. Registration: T1 form and invoice. Customs check documents and record the details in two registers and writing the vehicle registration on both documents.
  4. Physical Examination: T1 form, Invoice, Packing list and weight slip. (Visual check of goods).
  5. Transit Document Verification: Documents of transit cargo stamped and signed and transit document issued clearing vehicle to proceed.
  6. Fees Payment: Bank invoice and the stamped Form.
  7. Director/Deputy stamp and signature.
  8. Release of Goods Transit to Jalalabad or Kabul: Customs issue a note to indicate that payment has been made to avoid requests for further payment at later checkpoints.

Currently, the daily capacity of custom clearance is from 100 – 300 trucks per day.



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