Torkham: The Torkham border crossing, a vital conduit for trade and human traffic between Afghanistan and Pa-kistan, is set to resume regular operations from Friday, following an eight-day suspension. The border crossing was closed after Pakistan accused Afghanistan of construction of a new structure on its territory, leading to an exchange of fire between the security forces of the two countries.
As a result of the closure, hundreds of trucks and travellers were stranded on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Afghanistan is a landlocked country and relies on a transit trade agreement with Pakistan to do trade with the outside world.
Asmat Ullah Yaqub, the person in charge of Torkham border affairs, confirmed to The Express Tribune about the reopening of the crossing. “At eight o’clock tomorrow, the gate will be open as usual for transit and passengers,” he stated.
Sources revealed that Islamabad had conditioned the reopening on the withdrawal of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants from the Chitral district.
Reports from sources on the ground indicate that the TTP has completely withdrawn from the border areas following the incursion of the Kabul regime.
Earlier in the day, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch had said that the border closure was temporary and some development would take place in the coming days. –Agencies
