Torkham border crossing reopens after 5 days of closure

KABUL (Pajhwok): Following talks between the two sides, Afghanistan and Pakistan reopened the Torkham border crossing for traffic on Saturday, an official said.

Some days back, Pakistan tried to construct a gate at the border to check what it called terrorist movements, but Afghan border guards resisted the attempt, as the government in Kabul does not accept the Durand Line as an international boundary.

Troops exchanged intermittent firing, leaving several security personnel dead and wounded on both sides. A Pakistan Army major succumbed to his wounds on Tuesday in Peshawar.

Mohammad Ayub Hussainkhel, commander for the 301st border zone in Nangarhar province, told Pajhwok Afghan News deputy border police chief met a Pakistani delegation in Torkham on Friday night.

He added the Pakistani side reopened the tense frontier for traffic and people at 8am.

Attaullah Khogyani, the governor’s spokesman, confirmed to Pajhwok Afghan News that the reopening of the border after five days of closure. The move would resolve problems of traders and patients, he hoped.

National Security Council (NSC) spokesman, Tawab Ghorzang on Friday said Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz telephoned National Security Advisor Hanif Atmar late on Thursday and discussed the clashes and tensions.

He said both sides conferred on the Torkham issues and ways of resolving it peacefully. He added Aziz had invited the minister to visit Islamabad for talks on the situation.

Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani or Atmar is expected to travel to Islamabad today or tomorrow for talks on defusing the border tensions, he said.

mds/mud

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