Parking bays for Nato supplies shifted to Punjab

[LahoreEstate]

Monday, February 09, 2009

By Javed Aziz Khan

PESHAWAR: Parking bays for transhipment of Nato supplies were shifted to Punjab because of the frequent attacks on container terminals by suspected militants, a source told The News.

A number of contractors, a source said, have shifted their terminals to Hassanabdal and Tarnol towns in Punjab while the rest are packing up to move goods in a couple of days. Precious goods are hardly being kept at container terminals on both sides of the Ring Road for fear of being looted or torched by the attackers.

It was learnt that first the terminals were proposed to be shifted to Mianwali, another district of the Punjab province. However, the residents of Mianwali protested against the decision keeping in view their insecurity, forcing the authorities to select another place.

The shifting of container terminals from Peshawar was decided after over 300 trailers, containers, military trucks and Humvees were torched by militants in almost a dozen attacks on the Nato terminals in the provincial capital.

Three persons were killed and as many injured in the assaults during which attackers used rocket launchers, petrol/time bombs and other lethal weapons. The NWFP cabinet had directed the authorities to shift parking lots to safer places to avoid any future attacks. A small number of containers were allowed at terminals on the Ring Road after issuing directives to the police and other security forces to take adequate measures for their security.

After threats to the Nato logistics in Jamrud, 16 parking lots were established on both sides of the Ring Road between Hazarkhwani and Pishtakhara that used to trans-ship goods worth billions of rupees daily for the Nato forces across the border in Afghanistan.

The terminals included Waqas Terminal, Khyber-P Terminal, Bilal-I, II & III Terminals, Faisal Terminal, Pak Afghan Terminal, Insaf Terminal, Farah Zaman Terminal, Digro Terminal, Pak Kabul Terminal, Rahman Baba Terminal, World Port Terminal, Sindh Terminal, UF-2 Terminal and Khatoot Terminal.

No proper security measures were adopted for security of precious military vehicles and valuable goods in these parking lots, majority of which were not even having boundary walls. Encouraged by the inadequate security measures around these parking lots, about 150 suspected militants had torched over 171 military vehicles, Humvees and military goods in a single attack in December last.

More goods were gutted in five similar attacks in the same month. The latest attack was carried out on last Saturday. Villagers of the nearby towns are happy with the shifting of container terminals, saying the existence of these parking lots was a constant threat to the locals.

“Whenever militants attacked these terminals, we used to have sleepless nights. During the first attack, we feared that militants have attacked the provincial capital and will take it over,” said Raza Mohammad, a villager of Achar.

Apart from container terminals, convoys transporting goods for the Nato forces have also come under attack on a number of occasions while travelling to Afghanistan. A truckers’ body had decided over a month back to stop supply to the Nato forces to secure their vehicles and men. However, many are continuing supply of goods for the allied forces. Though Americans are looking for alternative routes via other countries, still hundreds of trucks are crossing the Durand Line to take food, ammunition, vehicles and other goods for the Nato forces.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=20195