Torkham crossing stays shut; talks on the horizon

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): As the Torkham crossing stayed shut for the fourth consecutive day on Tuesday, a high-level delegation from Kabul is visiting the area to resolve the issue and facilitate the reopening of the key route.

Torkham-based information officer Arafat Mohajir told Pajhwok Afghan News the team from Kabul was scheduled to arrive today for direct talks with the Pakistani side on the issues causing the closure.

Earlier, Nangarhar’s Deputy Governor Maulvi Azizullah Mustafa met the Pakistani authorities, but the meeting ended inconclusively.

Mullah Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the Torkham commissar, emphasised the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan had consistently sought to resolve issues through dialogue.

He called on Pakistan to avoid creating unnecessary obstacles, considering the difficulties being faced by the people on both sides.

The closure of the crossing has left thousands of patients and travelers stranded on both sides, while traders are facing millions of afghanis in losses daily due to halted truck shipments.

sa/mud