Torkham crossing was closed after forces from both sides exchanged fire, stranding countless tourists and numerous trucks.
Islamabad, Pakistan — An essential border crossing in between Pakistan and Afghanistan has actually been resumed for pedestrian and automobile traffic after staying closed for 9 days, following an exchange of fire in between the security forces of the 2 nations.
Muhammad Anas, an authorities in Khyber district of Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the Torkham border crossing lies, verified the advancement to Al Jazeera on Friday.
“We opened the border gates after 7.30 am today [Friday]Migration and customized authorities got here to resume their tasks as regular, and both pedestrian and car traffic was permitted to travel through,” he stated.
Afghan authorities in Nangarhar province on the other side of the border likewise verified the opening of the primary crossing in between the 2 countries through which numerous individuals and automobiles cross every day.
The crossing was closed on September 6 after a fatal exchange of fire in between Pakistani and Afghan border forces, eliminating a minimum of 2 Afghan soldiers and injuring numerous others.
Pakistan implicated Afghanistan of “building illegal structures” near the crossing and stated unprovoked and indiscriminate shooting by the Afghan forces resulted in its closure.
The judgment Taliban federal government in Afghanistan turned down the claims and stated it was just fixing an old security post when Pakistani security forces opened fire on them.
The Taliban blamed Islamabad for triggering barriers and hold-ups in opening the transit point.
Qari Nazim Gul of the All-Pakistan Customs Agents Association, informed Al Jazeera the closure triggered traders losses worth countless rupees.
“We had numerous trucks lined up at the border. This duplicated closure of Torkham gate triggers suffering for individuals like us who are attempting to earn money or those who are simply looking for to fulfill their households. This requires to end,” he stated over the telephone.
Border authorities state security has actually been boosted at the border crossing after the shooting event.
Ties in between Pakistan and Afghanistan stay wintry. Pakistan has actually consistently implicated Afghan authorities of harbouring fighters coming from the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) armed group.
Afghan authorities reject the charges, stating they do not enable any armed group to utilize their soil for releasing attacks on neighbouring nations.
In current months, the TTP, ideologically lined up with the Afghan Taliban, has actually considerably increased its attacks on Pakistani security forces.
Previously this month, on the day Torkham was closed, the group eliminated 4 Pakistani soldiers and lost 12 of its members in an attack in the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.