KHYBER: The Torkham border remained closed on Saturday, halting bilateral trade activities and pedestrian crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan for the eighth consecutive day.
The Torkham border, which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan with Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, was shut on February 21 evening following a disputed construction near the zero point on the Afghanistan side.
This has left hundreds of trucks and heavy vehicles stranded in long queues, and hundreds of passengers are also stranded on both sides of the border at Torkham.
This includes children, the elderly, and women who are particularly worried and facing difficulties due to the closure.
Many are calling for the Torkham border to be opened for foot traffic so that passengers can reach their destinations promptly. There are currently no facilities available in Torkham, forcing people to stay outdoors even at night.
Jawad Afghani, a stranded passenger, told Pakhtun Digital English that when he arrived from Kashmir, he had no prior information about the border closure. Upon reaching Torkham, he found the border closed and has now spent two nights waiting.
He urged that the border be opened as soon as possible to alleviate the hardships faced by travellers.
According to Torkham border officials, the closure was prompted by construction work being carried out by Afghan forces at a controversial checkpoint. Despite repeated orders to cease work, the Afghan forces have continued their construction efforts. As a result, both commercial activities and pedestrian traffic have been suspended at the Torkham border crossing at Babdash, and security has been heightened on both sides.
Torkham is one of the largest crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The two neighbours shared 18 crossings. The major crossings are Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan, Angoor Adda and Kharlachi.
