Even though the officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan sides attempted to mediate a resolution, the Torkham border crossing, a crucial border crossing between the two countries, remained closed for a third day, stranding thousands of goods vehicles and causing financial losses to businesses.
The primary transit hub for people and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan, Torkham, was shut down on Sunday by Taliban authorities.
Traders in Pakistan and Afghanistan have suffered losses due to the closure of the border crossing.
According to Zia Ul Haq Sarhadi, the director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, heavy trucks are stuck in long lines on both sides of the border and confirmed that up to 6,000 trucks carrying goods had been stuck on both sides since Sunday.
Although officials on both sides claimed they were communicating to find a solution, the closure’s cause remained unclear.
According to Reuters, the Islamabad government has not made any public remarks about the situation. However, a source in the Pakistani government said they were not informed of the closure’s cause beforehand.
According to Sarhadi, a significant portion of Afghanistan’s needs are met by imports from Pakistan, and many trucks headed for Central Asia also pass through Afghanistan.
Since trucks have been stuck in traffic for the past three days, he said, “traders, and in particular, those supplying fresh food items like fruits and vegetables, are facing losses.”.
He added that some trucks had been redirected to a different, smaller border crossing, but the traders were concerned for the safety of the truck drivers heading to that area.
Following a request from Pakistani authorities for the caregivers of an Afghan patient to enter the country with valid travel documents, Afghan authorities abruptly closed the border with Pakistan at Torkham.
Senior government officials at the Torkham border said, “The Afghan border officials raised the issue, saying Pakistani authorities should allow the patients and their attendants without visas or legal travel documents to enter Pakistan for treatment in Peshawar or elsewhere. “.
Following the suicide attack on the Peshawar police lines, it was decided to increase security by requiring all Afghan citizens to carry valid identification.
The border is still closed as of the submission of this report, though. (PhotoNews / Reuters)
