Pakistan’s Express Tribune reported that the Taliban and Pakistani delegations have agreed to reopen the Torkham border crossing on Tuesday, March 18, following successful negotiations.
Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, head of the Pakistani negotiating team, stated that the Taliban agreed to stop “illegal construction” along the border. The second round of talks took place in Torkham, focusing on reopening the critical crossing.
Kazmi, who also leads the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Express Tribune that both sides agreed that any future border construction would require mutual approval.
A 36-member Pakistani delegation, including clerics, tribal leaders, and business representatives, met with a 25-member Afghan delegation in Torkham. This was the second jirga in two weeks aimed at resolving the border closure. A week earlier, a 57-member Pakistani jirga also met with Taliban representatives, calling for a ceasefire and reopening the crossing.
Pakistani media reported that the first round of talks failed due to the Taliban’s refusal to halt border post construction.
The Torkham crossing, a key trade and travel route, has been closed for 25 days. The closure followed a border clash on February 21, when Taliban and Pakistani forces exchanged fire over the construction of a Taliban outpost and the installation of a road sign by Pakistan at the zero-point border. Pakistan then shut the crossing to passengers and trade.
Thousands of travelers remain stranded on both sides, and businesses have suffered heavy losses. A Pakistani official told Express Tribune that the closure has cost Pakistan’s treasury an estimated $72 million.
