The Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said that since the beginning of the temporary entry permit distribution process, nearly seven thousand Pakistani drivers have received this permit.
Imamuddin Ahmadi, spokesperson for the ministry, added that during this period, around six and a half to seven thousand Afghan drivers have also obtained this permit from the Pakistani embassy in Kabul and the Pakistani consulate in Kandahar.
The spokesperson said: “So far, we have issued around 7,000 permits to Pakistani drivers, and approximately the same number of permits have been issued by the Pakistani embassy and consulate in Kandahar to Afghan drivers, providing ease for both parties.”
The TAD permit is a temporary entry authorization that allows Afghan and Pakistani drivers to travel to all cities and crossing areas of both countries without a visa for a period of six months.
This permit has been effective since May 1, 2024, to facilitate imports and exports between Kabul and Islamabad.
However, some Afghan drivers are requesting more visa facilities and an extension of the TAD permit’s validity period.
“Six months pass quickly; I used this period for two round trips. The validity of this permit should be extended, “said Hokmran, an Afghan driver.
“Out of the total time, we spend two months in Afghanistan and another two months in Pakistan; the validity of this permit needs to be extended,” Another driver, Tor Khan, added.
“We ask the government to extend the TAD permit period; the four-month season passes quickly, and part of it is spent obtaining this permit, “said Sayed Rasul, another driver.
Previously, Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce announced in a statement that from August 1 of this year, no Afghan vehicle would be allowed entry into Pakistan without a temporary permit, although vehicles carrying transit goods are exempt from this restriction.