Torkham border reopens for pedestrians

Three days after cargo vehicles were allowed to cross the Torkham border, the Pakistan authorities on Saturday also reopened the Pak-Afghan trade route for pedestrians.  

As per media reports, only those holding passports and visas were allowed to cross Torkham border to Pakistan, however, special permission had been granted to patients from the neighbouring Afghanistan to enter Pakistan via this border.

It should be noted that daily 10,000 passengers enter each other’s countries through the border, while 1,500 vehicles carrying goods cross through it. In 2024, the volume of trade between the two countries stood at $1.6 billion.

On Wednesday, the Torkham border crossing was reopened after 27 days following much-awaited negotiations between jirga members of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The cross-border movement of people via the Torkham border crossing was abruptly halted on February 21 after Pakistani and Afghan security forces developed differences over construction activities on both sides of the border.

The situation took an ugly turn this month when eight people, including six tro­ops, were injured as Pakistan and Afghan Tali­ban forces traded fire at the border.
Several houses, a mosque, and some offices of clearing agents were hit by artillery shells, and cross-border firing continued for three days. Since then, tribal elders on both sides of the border have been engaged in talks to end the stalemate.