Afghan travellers complain of harassment by Pakistani police at Torkham Crossing
Several Afghan travellers and medical patients at the Torkham crossing reported being harassed by Pakistani police, local media outlet reported on Friday.
The Afghan travellers also said that the Pakistani police had repeatedly sought money from them on various grounds, Tolo News reported.
Therefore, this border crossing has become a source of hardship and frustration for several ordinary travellers and medical patients seeking treatment in Pakistan.
These people said that Pakistani police often harass and extort them despite their presentation of legitimate legal documents, harassing both men, women and children.
The travellers added that patients and passengers have been coping with this problem for years, and Pakistan has not adequately addressed it.
Several people have spoken out about this issue and provided their personal experiences. A patient named Shir Ali, seeking medical treatment in Pakistan, said he was harassed and forced to pay to cross the border.
Zabihullah, another traveller, brought out a questionable tactic employed by border agents: pretending the scanner is malfunctioning even when it is completely operational as a pretext to demand money. He said that people who were prepared to pay a sum of a thousand may pass without difficulty.
The people asked the de facto authorities to solve this problem immediately. Meanwhile, the Torkham Commission officials said they have spoken with Pakistani officials about this issue, but their commitments still need to be fulfilled.
On the other hand, most Afghan refugees complain about the mistreatment of the Pakistani police with Afghan refugees and patients who seek medical treatment or stay in Pakistan.
The Pakistani government has previously been advised to treat Afghan citizens respectfully by the UN Refugee Agency and the Pakistan Human Rights Commission.
According to official data, 12 patients on average from Afghanistan have travelled to Pakistan during the past three months for medical care.
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