Key Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing reopens after nearly a month

PESHAWAR: The key Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened on Wednesday after remaining closed for nearly a month, officials from both sides confirmed, paving the way for the resumption of trade between the countries. 

Pakistan closed the border crossing on Feb. 21 after Afghan authorities initiated “construction of trenches and other development work” along the border, Pakistani forces had said. This led to the suspension of cross-border trade and movement between the two sides. 

The Torkham border crossing is the main transit artery for travelers and goods between Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan. Trade between the two countries was worth over $1.6 billion in 2024, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.

“The Torkham gate has been reopened for transport,” Naheed Khan, a senior police official in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber district, told Arab News.

Hazrat Nabi Toor, an Afghan customs clearing agent, confirmed that the gate at the Torkham border had been opened for the movement of trucks to and from Afghanistan.

Hajji Hikmatullah, the Torkham gate commissioner in Afghanistan, told Arab News earlier that the reopening of the crossing would help trucks stranded on both sides of the border in reaching their destinations.

“The Torkham route between Pakistan and Afghanistan that remained closed will reopen today at around 4:00 p.m. while passengers’ movement through the border will start from Friday,” he added. 

Hikmatullah urged both countries to work out a “comprehensive strategy” to separate politics from business to foster stronger economic ties. 

Asghar Ali, a Pakistani customs clearing agent, told Arab News that upon hearing the news of the border reopening, hundreds of vehicles loaded with vegetables, fruits and other non-perishable items started moving toward the crossing point at the border.

“This border closure inflicted millions of dollars of losses on businessmen,” Ali said. “Trade should not suffer in diplomatic and political wars between the two countries.”

Border clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces have led to the closure of key crossings like Torkham and Chaman in the past, severely disrupting trade and halting the movement of people between the two countries.

Last month, the Torkham closure escalated into a skirmish between the two border forces, leaving three Pakistani civilians wounded, a Pakistani police official said.

The development comes at a time of strained ties between Kabul and Islamabad over a surge in militant attacks in Pakistan’s western provinces that border Afghanistan.

Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting militant groups that launch cross-border attacks. Afghan officials deny involvement and insist Pakistan resolve its security matters internally.