Khuga Khel tribesmen of Afghanistan continued their protest and blockade of the main road leading to the border crossing as Pakistan-Afghanistan trade through Torkham remained suspended on the third consecutive day on Thursday, local media reports said.

Afghan nationals aspiring to return to their country were, however, provided with an alternative route via Charbagh area to reach Torkham as part of a good-well gesture by the protesters as the travellers also included women, children and elderly people, reports Dawn News.

Mufti Ejaz and Mirajuddin Khan, the elders of Khuga Khel, told journalists as quoted by Dawn News at the protest site that their protest would continue till signing of a mutually agreed accord regarding fulfilment of their four major demands with concrete guarantees from the regional security officials.

The Khuga Khel tribesmen, being the collective owners of the land leased out for the construction of modern customs terminal at Torkham, had long been pushing for payment of the price of the additional land the National Logistic Cell (NLC) had off late acquired for the terminal, share in the monthly profit from the terminal and adequate share in jobs for the youth of the tribe, the newspaper reported.(SAM)