Torkham Border Reopens To Travellers After One-Day Closure

According to a statement released by the group, the attack targeted a Taliban checkpoint that had allegedly been used to harass local residents. The operation took place around 8:00 p.m. on Friday near the former headquarters of Police District 4 in Kunduz city.

The AFF reported that the assault was carried out without any casualties among its fighters or local civilians.

Local sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that they heard an explosion in the Bandar-e Khan Abad area on Friday night. As of now, the Taliban have not issued any official statement regarding the incident.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front is an anti-Taliban political and military group known for carrying out guerrilla-style operations. On the third anniversary of its founding, the group claimed responsibility for 87 targeted attacks in the past year, in which it alleges 821 Taliban fighters were killed.

The extension follows mounting concern over the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) April decision to terminate TPS for thousands of citizens from Afghanistan and Cameroon. That decision had placed approximately 14600 Afghan nationals, previously eligible for TPS, at imminent risk of deportation by May.

The revocation of TPS raised alarms not only among current status holders, but also within broader Afghan communities in the US, including asylum seekers and lawful permanent residents, many of whom fear the continued influence of Trump-era immigration policies on their legal standing.

Under the Trump administration, the State Department had disbanded the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) and its accompanying initiative, Operation Enduring Welcome, significantly disrupting efforts to resettle Afghans who had been evacuated following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS, previously confirmed to Afghanistan International that the TPS designation for Afghans had been rescinded. She explained that the decision followed an inter-agency review, in which the Secretary of Homeland Security, after consultation with the State Department and other federal agencies, determined that Afghanistan no longer met the legal requirements for a continued TPS designation.

Additionally, DHS documents reveal that some Afghan TPS holders are currently under administrative investigation on grounds of alleged fraud, threats to public safety, and potential national security concerns.

The 60-day extension provides temporary relief for thousands of Afghan nationals while advocacy groups continue to push for more permanent legal protections and resettlement pathways.

Meanwhile, sources have confirmed that a trilateral meeting involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China is scheduled to take place in Kabul on Saturday.

The Pakistani envoy arrived in Kabul on Friday and held his first official meeting with the Chinese envoy. Although no detailed statement was released, Sadiq shared a photograph of the meeting on social media.

Reliable sources have told Afghanistan International that the “Kabul Trilateral Meeting between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China” will convene on Saturday, with participation from representatives of the Chinese and Pakistani governments as well as Taliban officials.

The agenda is expected to focus on key regional issues, including trade, diplomatic cooperation, and security concerns.

While no official statements have yet been issued by any of the three parties, Kabul, Islamabad, or Beijing, Sadiq’s arrival and his engagement with the Chinese envoy are widely seen as preparatory steps ahead of the talks.

Neither China nor Pakistan has formally recognised the Taliban government. However, their respective approaches towards the de facto authorities in Kabul have notably diverged.

Over the past four years, China has maintained relatively stable and pragmatic ties with the Taliban. Beijing has accepted the Taliban’s appointed ambassador and continues to engage with the regime through an active diplomatic presence.

Pakistan, once expected to be one of the Taliban’s closest allies following their return to power, has experienced strained relations with the group. Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of harbouring and supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) an allegation consistently denied by Taliban officials.

The team will now be eligible to compete in FIFA-sanctioned competitions.

The Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team (AWRT) will initially operate on a one-year pilot basis, designed to assess the long-term viability of the initiative and lay the groundwork for the potential formation of similar teams representing refugees of other nationalities in future.

Under the terms of the plan, the team will be permitted to participate in officially recognised friendly matches and tournaments overseen by FIFA. On Friday, FIFA confirmed that a safe and secure environment will be provided to protect the health and well-being of the players.

The move signifies the official recognition of a national-level team comprised of Afghan women footballers who were forced to flee the country and seek asylum abroad following the return to power of the Taliban.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailed the decision as a “historic milestone”, reaffirming FIFA’s commitment to ensuring that every girl around the world has the opportunity to play football.

According to FIFA regulations, national teams must operate under the auspices of a recognised national football federation. However, the Afghanistan Football Federation, now under Taliban control, does not recognise women’s teams, and all women’s sporting activities in the country remain banned.

The Afghanistan women’s national football team has not participated in any official matches since 2018 and has since been removed from FIFA’s global ranking of 196 teams.

As a result, Afghanistan was excluded from the draw for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, which also serve as the preliminary stage for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

In response, players and supporters of the exiled team renewed calls for FIFA to formally recognise them and allow them to represent their homeland on the international stage.

FIFA also announced a series of measures aimed at the future expansion of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and renewed its commitment to combating racism in football. The Women’s World Cup will be expanded to include 48 teams across 12 groups, with the number of matches rising from 64 to 106. The tournament will also be extended by one week.

Afghan women footballers, displaced by the Taliban’s return to power, have campaigned for years to have their team officially recognised and to secure the right to participate in international competition.

The travellers, who also shared video footage, said that the crossing is now shut for pedestrian traffic on both sides of the border.

So far, no official explanation has been provided, and neither the Taliban nor Pakistani authorities have commented on the closure.

The video footage shows large groups of travellers, patients, and migrants gathered near the border gate. Many expressed uncertainty about when the crossing will reopen.

Torkham is one of the most important border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it has been closed multiple times in recent months.

The crossing was previously shut for nearly a month to both travellers and freight traffic, from 21 February until 19 March.