Treacherous path
January 11, 2012
Ordinarily, the men behind the wheel of the many NATO supply tankers driving into Afghanistan from Pakistan arrange musical gatherings and sing melancholic songs together by the roadside. "I am sad as I am far away from dear ones, so how can it be a happy occasion," chants one musician.
There are dozens of such drivers gathered here, though most are spectators to the performance. Many of them hail from the tribal border regions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and have been caught in limbo in the southern city of Karachi since late November last year.
That was when Pakistan put a freeze on all NATO convoys through its territory into Afghanistan after 24 Pakistanis were accidentally killed in an alliance air attack near the border regions in what NATO termed a "tragic unintended incident."
The convoys come under frequent attack by militants based in the Khyber Pass. Last year alone, around 200 oil tankers were destroyed and hundreds of other vehicles were attacked.
No choice but to drive
Despite the danger, there are countless drivers, such as 18-year-old Niamat Khan, who are waiting for work to restart. Niamat explains why he has chosen such a dangerous occupation.
"Nobody is willing to lend me more money. Working bringing NATO supplies into Afghanistan is the only source of income for me and my family," he says. "There is a lot of tension in my family at the moment because one of them is ill and they need the money. I am here listening to the music to forget my tension and grief."
The round trip from Karachi to Bagram airbase near the Afghan capital, Kabul, takes around one month to complete and can earn the drivers anywhere up to around $1,000.
Norshed Khan, a 20-year-old who is among the tanker drivers, says life-threatening scenarios come with the territory.
"Recently a helper on the truck in front of me was shot dead right in front of me," he recounts. "I have seen people being killed many times and once a bomb exploded in an oil tanker very close to me. I think about my family and mother all the time and miss them very much."
Quadrat Ullah, 22, says he is anxious to get back on the road despite the risks.
"I often remember the day I saw a helper in the truck in front of me get killed. We all have fear in our minds and hearts but despite the danger we do what we have to do because it's our profession and the profession of our forefathers," he says.
The irony is that most of the drivers side ideologically with the Pakistani Taliban. For many seated at the musical gathering, driving trucks for NATO violates their beliefs. They say, however, that they have no other choice but to live in sin.
Strong demands
The treacherous job of ferrying NATO goods from Pakistan into Afghanistan is often the only source of income for those living along the long road between the two countries, says Shabeer Ahmed, a human right activist working in the tribal region.
"It is obvious that if the drivers lose their jobs, and their children and family are without a source of income, they will definitely engage in unlawful activities in the tribal areas due to their poverty," he said.
That poverty is currently being exacerbated by the freeze on NATO convoys by the Pakistani government.
Brigadier Mahmood Shah, who formerly oversaw the tribal regions but is now a security anaylst, says Pakistan will consider restoring the supply line "only if NATO guarantees that NATO forces will respect the territorial integrity of Pakistan and act according to the Rules of Engagement."
"That means NATO planes must not come within five miles of a Pakistan military check point. If they come close then the Pakistani military will attack them," he says. "NATO must also pay tax in advance to Pakistan as per international rules and regulations. Also Pakistan wants an equal share of intelligence with America. The US must give complete details about all CIA agents who are in Pakistan and explain clearly what their goals are."
Despite the danger posed by the long drive into Afghanistan, most drivers eagerly await its reopening. It is a sign of just how financially dependent the Pakistan tribal regions have become on the war on terror.
Author: Mudassar Shah
Editor: Darren Mara