Terminal is equipped with modern infrastructure and digital systems, housing residential facilities for Customs, FIA, Plant Protection | The Express Tribune
Key Takeaways
- The Angoor Adda Terminal reopened for formal Pakistan-Afghanistan trade after a 2.5-year closure.
- The prolonged closure severely damaged the local economy, causing business collapse and high unemployment in Wana Bazaar.
- The terminal was constructed quickly (30 days) by the National Logistics Cell (NLC) and employed local skilled laborers.
- The facility is modern, equipped with customs offices, digital coordination systems, and essential infrastructure like weighbridges.
- Local traders are optimistic that the reopening will revitalize the economy, especially for exporting local produce like fruits and pine nuts.
The Angoor Adda Terminal in Lower South Waziristan has officially reopened for formal trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan, marking the end of a two-and-a-half-year closure that devastated the local economy, causing Wana Bazaar businesses to collapse and leading to deep unemployment. The National Logistics Cell (NLC) completed the terminal's construction in just 30 days, fulfilling a long-standing demand from local tribes and employing skilled local laborers in the process. The facility is now outfitted with essential infrastructure, including offices for Customs, FIA, and Plant Protection, digital systems for real-time coordination, weighbridges, and robust power and connectivity solutions, with plans for a cargo scanner forthcoming. Local shopkeepers, like Gul Rehman, expressed immense relief and hope that the reopening will immediately boost trade in local produce such as pine nuts and fruits, signaling a path toward socio-economic development and a better future for their children. The NLC views the terminal as a significant step toward strengthening the regional economy.
