RASC News Agency: Pakistani media outlets have confirmed that the Torkham border crossing has been fully reopened for both passenger movement and commercial transit following the completion of reconstruction work on Pakistan’s immigration office. The crossing, which had been operating under partial restrictions, resumed normal operations on Saturday, March 22. Previously, the border had been open only for medical emergencies and trade shipments, while its full reopening remained conditional on the restoration of Pakistan’s immigration office, which had been damaged during recent border clashes. During a bilateral meeting last Wednesday between Pakistani officials and the Taliban at the customs headquarters on the Afghanistani side, both parties agreed to delay the border’s full reopening until the completion of reconstruction efforts. Initially, authorities had planned to restore full operations on Friday, March 21.
However, sources revealed that due to technical difficulties and unfinished repair work on the immigration facility, the crossing remained closed to passenger traffic on Friday. After being shut down for three weeks, Torkham was partially reopened on Wednesday, allowing only freight trucks, commercial goods, and medical patients to pass through. The prolonged closure of the border has resulted in millions of dollars in financial losses for traders and businesses in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Additionally, several individuals were killed and wounded in violent clashes between the Taliban and Pakistani border forces.
Pakistan, which once celebrated the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan with a sense of triumph, now finds itself grappling with the unintended consequences of its support perhaps realizing too late the far-reaching implications of its strategic miscalculations.
