Pakistan, Afghan fail to agree on Torkham border’s reopening

By Tahir Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Afghan officials met on Monday to discuss concerns over new border constructions but failed to reach an agreement on reopening the Torkham border, officials said.

The border was closed on Friday night after both sides raised objections to new constructions near the border.

Thousands of cargo vehicles are stranded on both sides, some of them carrying perishable items, according to a senior member of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI).

The border crossing is also closed to pedestrians. Videos posted on social media show hundreds of Afghan nationals gathered on the Pakistani side to cross the border. However, they have not been allowed to enter Afghanistan.

Pakistani and Afghan officials met for the first time at Torkham and discussed ways to remove objections and reopen the main gate.

Also read: Torkham border: trade and pedestrian movement comes to a halt

Pakistani official sources said the Pakistani side clarified that the ongoing construction at Torkham’s border terminal is aimed at ensuring more facilitation in trade, and movement of pedestrians and patients.

“But the Afghan side had objected that Pakistani forces carried out the construction of three towers without consultation,” according to an official source, familiar with the discussions at the meeting.

An Afghan delegation, headed by Maulvi Aziz Ullah, Deputy Governor of Nangarhar province, conducted a visit to the site to express Afghan reservations and ensure clarity.

The Afghan side also objected that Pakistani forces have carried out the construction of walls and a new post at Torkham and insisted that both sides should either allow such work or stop it altogether, according to Pakistani sources.

The Pakistani side denied any new construction in the areas and invited an onsite visit for verification.

Pakistani officials also reiterated that no new posts were being built, and any maintenance work would be communicated in advance.

Pakistan also insisted that no construction work in the “negative deviation” area by Afghanistan would be allowed but Pakistan would have no objection to any other areas.

“Negative deviation areas to remain untouched until a formal resolution is reached,” Pakistani officials told the Afghan side.

The Afghan side asked for time to consult their higher authorities.

The Afghan government in a statement confirmed that the meeting ended without any agreement after a discussion

The Afghan official Bakhtar news agency reported that the opening of the border will be decided by senior leaders of the two countries.

Pak-Afghan traders’ body showed concerns as Senior Vice President Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi urged the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to address the challenges faced by traders and the public due to the ongoing closure of the Pak-Afghan border at Torkham.

Sarhadi, who is also an executive member of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), highlighted the severe impact of the border closure, which has persisted for the last three consecutive days.

He stated in a statement that the shutdown has not only halted trade between the two neighbouring countries but has also left thousands of people in distress on both sides of the border.

He pointed out that approximately 2,500 goods-laden trucks are stranded on the Pakistani side, waiting for clearance, with a similar number of vehicles stuck across the border.

Many of these trucks carry perishable goods, including meat, poultry, vegetables, fruits, and juices, which risk spoilage if not transported promptly.

Sarhadi noted that hundreds of people, including patients, women, children, and elderly passengers, are stranded at the border, anxiously waiting for it to reopen. Many have been forced to wait at immigration centers for the past three days without any clear updates on the situation.

The PAJCCI official also expressed concerns over the financial strain on the business community, which was already grappling with the imposition of a two per cent infrastructure development cess on export consignments in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Although the provincial government later reduced the cess to one per cent, businesses continue to shift to other provinces, particularly Balochistan, due to the added costs.

He emphasized that sudden and prolonged closures of the Torkham border severely disrupt bilateral trade, causing significant economic losses for businesses on both sides.

He urged authorities in Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve the issue immediately and ensure the uninterrupted movement of trade and passengers for the benefit of both nations.