Islamabad: The Torkham border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is set to open on Tuesday after almost a month of closure due to escalating tensions between the two nations over the construction of facilities by Afgan forces around the disputed border.
The decision was taken after the second round of ceasefire talks between designated religious, political, and tribal elders from both sides on Monday, following which it was decided to open the Torkham trade route, which was closed on February 21, for all types of movement, according to media reports.
The situation in the Torkham border further escalated on March 4 when talks for reopening the crossing failed, leading to an exchange of fire between Pakistani security forces and the Afghan Taliban fighters. The violent clashes have resulted in the death of many armed forces personnel and civilians near the border.
According to a report by the leading Pakistani daily, Dawn, during the meeting, the two sides were at a time engaged in a heated discussion when the Afghan delegation, consisting mostly of members of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), linked the construction of the check post on their side to the construction of the sprawling Customs Terminal on Pakistan side, which is situated over one kilometre inside Pakistani territory from the main border Zero Point.
The Afghan side, however, agreed to halt construction activities, and both parties decided that any future construction at the disputed border point would only proceed with mutual consensus, Pakistan delegation head Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi told The Express Tribune.
The Pakistani officials stated that all sorts of trade, including the transit trade, remained halted during the 24-day closure of the border. The cumulative losses to the national kitty because of the closure amounted to $72 million, a Pakistani official told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity. “A meeting was held on Monday in Torkham between both sides.
The decisions made were positive, and it is likely that the crossing will reopen today or tomorrow,” Afghan media TOLO news reported, quoting an Afghan trader, Zalmai Azimi. Torkham, one of the most important crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, handles the largest volume of trade and movement between the two countries.
The conflict has inflicted a massive blow to the traders on both sides of the border who have lost millions of dollars. Hundreds of travellers and patients, along with thousands of freight trucks, remain stranded on both sides of the Torkham crossing due to the standoff.