Pakistan and the Taliban are set to resume negotiations on Monday to reopen the Torkham border, which has been closed for the past 25 days. Sources told Afghanistan International that delegations from both sides have traveled to Torkham for talks scheduled at noon.
A Pakistani delegation, led by Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, head of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Industry and Commerce, left Jamrud for the border. Meanwhile, a 25-member Afghan delegation from Jalalabad, Nangarhar province, is also heading to Torkham.
This is the second Pakistani delegation to engage in talks after last week’s negotiations ended without progress. A 57-member Pakistani delegation had previously met with Taliban representatives, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of the border. However, the talks collapsed after the Taliban continued building a border post, which Pakistan strongly opposed.
The Torkham border, a crucial crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has remained shut since clashes erupted on 21 February. The dispute began when the Taliban attempted to construct a border post, while Pakistan installed a signboard at the zero point. The confrontation led to the complete closure of the crossing for both passengers and trade.
The prolonged shutdown has left thousands stranded on both sides and caused heavy financial losses. Kazmi stated that the closure is costing Pakistan around three million dollars per day.
