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KABUL/PESHAWAR: Taliban authorities have closed the main border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, an Afghan official said on Monday, and residents in the area reported the sound of gunfire near the normally bustling border transit point.
A Taliban provincial information official said the Torkham border crossing, near the Khyber Pass, was closed for all trade and travelers.
“The Pakistan side hadn’t committed to their promises, they have promised to create facilities for transit, sick people and passengers,” said Siddiqullah Quraishi, the head of the Afghan province of Nangahar’s information department, as the reason for the closure.
He did not elaborate on the issues but said both sides were speaking to try to find a solution and denied there had been any violent clashes, saying the situation was under control.
Pakistan’s foreign office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Disputes linked to the 2,600 km (1,615 mile) border have been a bone of contention between the neighbors for decades.
The Torkham border point is the main point of transit for travelers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan.
