The Torkham border crossing officially reopened on Wednesday, March 19, after nearly a month of closure. The reopening initially allows truck traffic and medical patients to cross, restoring trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Taliban and Pakistani officials stated that passenger movement would resume within the next two days. Videos obtained by Afghanistan International show cargo trucks entering both countries following the reopening. Pakistani authorities confirmed that the crossing would be fully operational for pedestrians by Friday.
The Taliban governor’s spokesperson in Nangarhar said Pakistani officials were working to activate their systems for passenger movement by the end of the week. Earlier, sources confirmed that Taliban and Pakistani border officials had reached an agreement to reopen the crossing.
Security sources said the meeting took place on Wednesday, with the Pakistani delegation led by Asim Kayani, commander of the Pakistan Army in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the Taliban delegation headed by Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the group’s commissioner at Torkham. This meeting followed two unsuccessful jirgas [tribal councils] aimed at resolving the border closure.
Participants of both jirgas said the Taliban’s refusal to halt checkpoint construction was the primary obstacle to reopening. Pakistan initially closed the Torkham border on February 21, citing the Taliban’s attempt to build a checkpoint on Pakistani soil.
Syed Jawad Hussain Kazemi, head of Pakistan’s jirga delegation, stated that the Taliban had now agreed to halt construction activities that could escalate border tensions. Both sides also agreed to prevent future conflicts at Torkham until the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) convenes.
Pakistani media reported that the border would first reopen for passenger movement, followed by commercial goods. Officials from both sides plan to meet soon to facilitate smoother transit at the crossing.
Pakistani customs officials estimate that the Torkham crossing handles approximately $3 million in daily trade and sees around 10,000 crossings per day.
The border was originally shut down on February 21 after clashes between Taliban and Pakistani border forces. The dispute was triggered by Taliban checkpoint construction and Pakistan’s installation of a road sign at the zero-point. The closure stranded thousands of passengers and caused significant financial losses.
A Pakistani official told Express Tribune that the shutdown had cost Pakistan around $72 million. Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce reported that Afghan traders had suffered losses of approximately $66 million due to the prolonged closure.
