Pakistan Announces Temporary Opening of Torkham Border; Aims for Permanent Resolution with Afghanistan

Synopsis

Pakistan has opened the Torkham border temporarily while seeking a permanent solution through ongoing discussions with Afghanistan. This comes after nearly a month of closure due to tensions over border facilities. Officials emphasize the need for permanent assurances to avoid future conflicts.

Key Takeaways

Torkham border reopening is temporary.
Further negotiations with Afghanistan are planned.
Financial losses from border closure reached $72 million.
Traders urge separation of trade from political issues.
Violence escalated during closure, causing casualties.

Islamabad, March 21 (NationPress) Pakistan announced that the reopening of the Torkham border is merely a temporary measure, as further negotiations will be conducted with Afghanistan to establish a permanent arrangement.

This statement came after the Torkham border, which had been closed for nearly a month, was reopened following escalating tensions between the two countries regarding the construction of facilities by Afghan forces near the disputed border, as reported by media outlets.

The Pakistan Foreign Office emphasized that the current setup is intended to last only for the next few weeks.

“The current situation at Torkham has been reached through mutual consultations, and it represents a positive development that will be in effect until April 15. By then, we anticipate further dialogues to establish a permanent system that will allow for the seamless operation of the Torkham border,” stated Shafqat Ali Khan, spokesperson for Pakistan's Foreign Office, according to The Express Tribune.

Pakistan also expressed the need for permanent assurances that the Afghan side will not construct any structures along the border without proper consultation.

The spokesperson warned that the border might be closed again if the issues are not resolved by April 15.

Earlier this week, following discussions between both sides, it was agreed to reopen the Torkham trade route, which had been shut since February 21, for all types of movement.

The situation at the Torkham border escalated on March 4 when negotiations for reopening the crossing failed, resulting in an exchange of gunfire between Pakistani security forces and Afghan Taliban fighters.

These violent confrontations have led to numerous casualties among armed forces personnel and civilians near the border.

Torkham, a key crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, facilitates the largest volume of trade and movement between the two nations.

Pakistani officials reported that all forms of trade, including transit trade, were halted during the border's closure. The financial losses to the national treasury due to the closure have reached $72 million, as revealed by a Pakistani official who spoke with The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, traders and investors have indicated that the closure of the Torkham crossing has resulted in millions of dollars in losses. They are calling for the separation of trade activities from political disputes.

“This route should not be subjected to politics. Trade should be free globally, and ports should not face restrictions,” remarked Ghulam Mustafa Rahimi, an Afghan official at the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment Secretariat, as reported by TOLO news.