No Decision Yet On Reopening Torkham Border Crossing, Says Pak Official

A Pakistani security official at the Torkham border has stated that no meeting has been scheduled yet to discuss the reopening of the crossing. The border remains closed for the second consecutive day, with security forces on both sides on high alert.

Speaking to Türkiye’s Anadolu News Agency on condition of anonymity, the official confirmed that efforts are underway to arrange a meeting between border authorities. However, no official communication has been established regarding a possible reopening.

The closure of the Torkham border, a vital trade and transit route between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has severely disrupted commercial activities and passenger movement. The crossing, which links Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, was shut down on Saturday following a dispute over the construction of a new border post.

Sources told Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper that the closure resulted from disagreements over the renovation and expansion of a security post on the Afghan side and the installation of a signboard on the Pakistani side. The border security officials reportedly clashed over the issue, leading to the sudden suspension of operations.

According to these sources, both sides had previously agreed to inform and coordinate with each other regarding any new construction near the border or modifications to existing structures. Following the closure, customs and immigration offices were shut down, and staff were instructed to vacate the premises.

Despite the escalating tensions, Pakistani officials, in a gesture of goodwill, allowed the transfer of six Afghan citizens’ coffins into Afghanistan.

The issue of “unauthorised” construction along the border has been a long-standing point of contention between the two countries. Since 2016, Pakistani and Afghan border forces have repeatedly clashed over infrastructural developments near the frontier. Both sides have since taken a rigid stance on border management, often responding forcefully to any construction or renovation activities carried out without prior coordination.

Earlier, Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the Taliban commissioner at Torkham, stated that Pakistan had closed the border crossing on Friday night in response to construction activities on the Afghan side. However, Islamabad has yet to issue an official statement regarding the closure or the possibility of reopening the border.