By By A1TV Pakistan Bureau Office
September 15, 2023 | Torkham, Pakistan
TORKHAM — Pakistan reopened the key Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan on Friday after a nine-day closure triggered by an exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces, restoring a crucial route for trade and travel between the neighboring countries.
The crossing had been shut since September 6, when border forces exchanged fire amid a dispute over construction near the frontier. Pakistan accused Afghan authorities of attempting to build what it described as an unauthorized structure close to the border, while the Afghan side maintained that work was being carried out on an existing post.
The confrontation led Pakistani authorities to close Torkham to pedestrian and commercial traffic.
The shutdown stranded travelers and large numbers of trucks carrying goods between Pakistan and Afghanistan, disrupting one of the busiest commercial routes connecting the two countries.
During the closure, long queues of trucks formed near the crossing, while traders warned of significant losses, particularly involving perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables.
Torkham is located in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and connects the country with Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province. The route is also strategically important for Pakistan’s regional trade links.
Diplomatic efforts continued during the standoff as officials from Islamabad and Kabul held discussions aimed at resolving the dispute.
Pakistan’s top diplomat in Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, also met Afghan acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul ahead of the reopening, with the Torkham closure and broader security concerns among the issues discussed.
The border finally reopened on the morning of September 15, allowing pedestrians and commercial vehicles to begin crossing again. Customs authorities also resumed clearance of import, export and transit vehicles.
The confrontation came amid increasingly strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government.
Islamabad had repeatedly accused militants, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), of operating from Afghan territory and carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. Afghan Taliban authorities rejected allegations that they were allowing their territory to be used against Pakistan.
The Torkham episode highlighted how border disputes and growing security tensions between Islamabad and Kabul could quickly affect regional trade, transportation and thousands of people who depend on the crossing.