Pakistan reopens key Torkham border crossing for Afghan refugees returning home

Pakistan has reopened the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan for the return of Afghan refugees, officials said Saturday, ending a more than two-week closure that had left thousands stranded.

According to Dawn newspaper, Pakistani authorities confirmed that the border, closed since October 11 following clashes between border forces, has now reopened both for refugee repatriations and trade.

Quraishi Badloon, head of the Information and Culture Department in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, also confirmed the reopening, saying Afghan returnees were being welcomed home.

The border was sealed earlier this month after an exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan troops, halting all crossings and leaving hundreds of vehicles and thousands of refugees stuck on the road between Nowshera and Torkham without access to food or water.

Tensions ease after Istanbul talks

Tensions between the two countries have eased since a temporary ceasefire was agreed upon on October 15, mediated by Türkiye and Qatar. The truce, initially set for 48 hours, was extended following negotiations in Doha aimed at resolving recent border clashes.

After 14 hours of talks, both sides agreed to form a technical committee to work out the details of the ceasefire, with the first meeting scheduled to take place in Istanbul on October 25.

The 2,670-kilometer-long Pakistan-Afghanistan border has 18 official crossings, with Torkham in Nangarhar and Spin Boldak in Kandahar serving as the busiest routes for trade and movement.

Frequent clashes between the two sides’ border guards often disrupt traffic and trade, dealing a major blow to landlocked Afghanistan’s economy.

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Source: TRT