With the reopening of the Torkham border post, which accounts for 65% of traffic between the two countries, “truck crossings are underway and Afghan citizens are returning to Afghanistan.”
The main border post between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened its doors this Friday morning, allowing the passage of vehicles and pedestrians, more than a week ago. after an exchange of fire between guards from both countries. The news was relayed to the France-Presse news agency (AFP) by a Pakistani official.
After Afghan and Pakistani security forces exchanged fire on September 6 at the Torkham border post, halfway between the capitals Islamabad (Pakistan) and Kabul (Afghanistan), due to the renovation of an Afghan checkpoint, The two countries remained at a diplomatic impasse.
“The crossing of trucks continues and Afghan citizens return to Afghanistan after being authorized to do so and having completed immigration procedures,” Irshad Khan Mohmamd, deputy commissioner of Pakistan’s Khyber region, told AFP.
An AFP team on the Afghan side of the border observed a crowd waiting to cross into Pakistan. although the doors were still closed.
Torkham, 180 kilometers from the two capitals, It is an important crossing point for trade. between the two countries: Afghanistan exports coal to Pakistan, which in turn supplies food and other goods.
Traders on both sides complained about losing tons of goods due to the border closure, while Afghan travelers cited not being able to attend important medical appointments. or take flights from Pakistan.
The Pakistani side of the border was paralyzed for days, with markets and offices closed and crowds of travelers sheltering in nearby mosques. Pakistan and Afghanistan share more than 2,500 kilometers of disputed borderwhich dates back to the creation of the so-called Durand Line by the British Empire in the 19th century, which Kabul rejects.
The Torkham border post, which connects northern Pakistan with eastern Afghanistan, represents 65% of traffic between the two countries. It has been closed several times in the past, causing great hardship to travelers and loss of business associated with the movement of goods.
The most recent closure occurred in February 2022, when clashes broke out between the security forces of both countries, forcing a temporary closure of the border that lasted almost a week.
According to official data, around 65% of travelers cross the border at Torkham, in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in northeastern Pakistan, followed by 25% at the Chaman post, in the southern province of Balochistan.
Source: Observadora
