Spectrum
January 2024PDF 6
7 pagesrevision 9239
PDF 6
Page image rendered from the stored file at 110 dpi; it sharpens as you zoom. Outlines are placed from each region’s stored position on the page (841 × 1190 pt).
garbled text layerread by OCR (tesseract5-eng@250dpi)The text layer was unusable, so the page image was read by OCR. OCR text can contain misread characters.
Source of this text: read by OCR. The better of the embedded text and OCR is kept.
The file stores this text as glyph numbers without the character map that turns them into letters; it is read through the map the file lacks. The page itself is unchanged. Fonts: TimesNewRomanPSMT.
SPECTRUM NEWS
Trade resumes as Torkham
crossing reopens
Extreme Cold Strikes
Lahore
In a In a noteworthy development, the Torkham border crossing
linking Pakistan and Afghanistan has reopened, signaling the revival of
bilateral trade after a ten-day hiatus. This resumption, marked by
heightened enthusiasm among transporters, follows Pakistan's decision
to ease visa conditions for Afghan transporters, extending this
arrangement until the end of March. Local agents responsible for
customs clearance played a pivotal role in facilitating the smooth flow
of trade. They indicated a preference for vehicles loaded with
perishable items such as oranges and potatoes from Pakistan, as well as
onions from Afghanistan. To mitigate potential congestion, a dedicated
lane was allocated for these vehicles at the border crossing point.
Vehicles laden with various export and import goods were granted
passage on both sides of the border. The brisk movement of trade
activities was fueled by drivers and their assistants eager to proceed to
Afghanistan after securing clearance from customs authorities.
Preliminary estimates provided by local traders and transporters
indicated that approximately 350 to 400 laden vehicles, carrying a
diverse range of trade goods, successfully crossed the border from both
sides by the end of Tuesday evening. In an effort to address the backlog
of stranded vehicles, the border was anticipated to remain open late
into the night. Customs officials at Torkham assured the provision of
every possible facility to customs clearing agents and transporters,
ensuring an expeditious and efficient clearance process.
The sudden suspension of bilateral trade on January 13 resulted from
Pakistan's imposition of a ban on the entry of Afghan transporters
lacking valid visas. A corresponding ban on Pakistani drivers by Afghan
authorities exacerbated the situation, creating a challenging
environment for both nations. Afghan transporters encountered
difficulties in obtaining national passports promptly and faced obstacles
in stamping visas for Pakistan in Kabul and Jalalabad. Their appeals for
relaxed visa provisions and extended time for passport-related
processes were acknowledged, prompting Pakistan to announce visa
relaxation until March 31. Following this deadline, all Afghans will be
obligated to enter Pakistan with proper travel documentation.
@
The resumption of trade activities holds promising implications for
normalizing relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The
prioritization of perishable items and the commitment to facilitating
swift clearance underscore a shared dedication to fostering a favorable
trading environment. With the border remaining open, both nations
anticipate fortifying economic ties and surmounting the obstacles that
prompted the recent closure.
Throughout the last and first few weeks of 2023-24, respectively, an
unprecedented but not entirely unforeseen cold wave swept Pakistan,
with one of the hard-hit major cities being Lahore. The drop in
temperatures caused the city to be coated in mist by night, gathering
and greatly reducing visibility heavily by morning, resulting in
dangerously low visibility and a hazardous traffic situation.
However, the cold brought some good news as well. Lahore's
infamous smog is decreasing in severity due to the heavier fog serving
as a thicker air medium, trapping more pollutant particles. This has
brought the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city down from the
500-600 range to the 100-200 range in a matter of weeks, in line with
the usual yearly cycle of smog severity. Furthermore, forecasters
predict light rains at the end of January, which shall further combat
the smog.
Civilians have been advised to dress warmly and to don extra layers
while traveling at night or commuting in the morning. Many schools
have given leeway to students, allowing them to wear all manner of
warm clothing for the month of January. Additionally, some schools
are closing entirely or shifting their timings a few hours later as long
as the extreme cold persists. The chilly weather has also had health
consequences, with cases of pneumonia, common cold infections, and
other cold-related illnesses skyrocketing in major cities.
Lahore is known for its characteristically fluctuating climate. The
rainy season is highly irregular year after year, both in intensity and
duration, with seasonal extremes going both ways. Summers reach
sweltering hot temperatures, and winters are packed with freezing
nights. In recent years, however, this phenomenon has been
accelerated dramatically by climate change, with a record-shattering
summer heatwave and winter "cold wave" occurring in the span of
one year. The severe 2022 flooding also serves as a reminder of this
fact. These drastic effects of climate change piling up are making it
ever more apparent that the impacts of climate change are hitting
hard and are here to stay.