Key Pak-Afghan border crossing remains shut for 5th day

KARACHI, Pakistan

A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan remained closed for the fifth day on Sunday, as talks to negotiate the reopening made no headway, stranding trade convoys and travelers on both sides.

Pakistan shut the northwestern Torkham border, one of the two main crossings between the neighboring countries, on Wednesday for travelers and traffic following skirmishes between border security forces from the two countries.

The latest standoff erupted after Taliban guards began constructing a new security post near Torkham border, which Islamabad considers violation of mutual agreements.

The Taliban, however, rejected the allegations, saying the outpost was being built on the Afghan side of the nearly 2,600 km (1,616 miles) boundary separating the two countries.

In a statement, the Afghan Foreign Ministry accused Islamabad of violating the mutual understandings and previous commitments.

It said the border closure is detrimental to regional and bilateral trade and affecting the trade and financial losses to both sides

Emphasizing commitment to resolving issues through understanding and political dialogue, Kabul said it is essential that both sides seek solutions through understanding, and not allow political issues to undermine economy trade and free movement of the people.

Pakistan and landlocked Afghanistan share 18 crossing points, the busiest of which are the Torkham and Chaman, which connect Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province with Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province.

Pakistan has seen an uptick in terrorist attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Islamabad accuses Kabul of harboring militants, a charge the latter denies.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's interim foreign minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, sent a demarche to the Afghan charge d’affaires in the wake of a terrorist attack on two military posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral district earlier this week.

Pakistan's military said the clashes killed four soldiers and 12 terrorists.