PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s main border crossing with Afghanistan was closed for a third consecutive day on Friday, leading to a build-up of trucks laden with goods and leaving travelers stranded, after clashes between security forces from the two countries.
The busy Torkham border is the main point of transit for travelers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan. The crossing has been closed several times in recent years, including a closure in February that saw thousands of trucks laden with goods stranded for days on each side of the border.
Disputes linked to the 2,600 km (1,615 miles) border have for decades been a bone of contention between the neighbors.
It is still not clear what prompted firing on the border on Wednesday but Pakistani government and military officials have been in contact with Afghan counterparts to defuse tensions.
Thousands of passengers and travelers, including patients, were stranded on the Pakistani side of the border.
Following Wednesday’s clashes, hundreds of families of Bacha Mina, a small border town on the Pakistani side, had to move to the adjacent Landi Kotal town.
Trawlers full of perishable items such as fruits and vegetables had to be diverted back to Peshawar as the items started to rot.
An Afghan customs official who declined to be named said vehicles full of grapes had perished on the Afghan side due to the border closure.
