Torkham border reopens for Afghan repatriation

LANDI KOTAL
The Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which had remained closed for months, reopened only for deportation and repatriation of Afghan citizens, officials said on Tuesday.
The border crossing had been repopened after months but shut down again the other day after a security incident in which a Pakistani army soldier was injured by a sniper shot from the Afghan side.
Following the incident, border authorities from both countries held two rounds of flag meetings at Torkham to ease tensions and restore movement across the crossing. As a result, both sides agreed to reopen the border in phases.
In the first phase, the crossing has been reopened specifically for the repatriation of Afghan nationals. Officials said Afghan citizens were allowed to return to their country under this arrangement.
Authorities from both sides also discussed that if the situation remained peaceful, the border would gradually be reopened for broader movement, including other Afghan nationals seeking to return home.
On the reopening of the border around 157 Afghans including 11 from Landikotal transit camp were handed over to Afghan border authorities. Officials said the border would be open for the coming days to facilitate the Afghan citizens ti return to their country.
Meanwhile,a large number of transporters and drivers staged a demonstration and rally in Landikotal, demanding the immediate return of Pakistani drivers and their vehicles that have been stuck across the border for the past six months. They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans for peace with Afghanistan and help return their trucks and drivers safely to Pakistan.
The protest was led by transporter representatives including Rakhman Zeb Afridi, Bakhtiar Malagori, Mohammad Shah Afridi, Abdullah, and Safeerullah Shinwari.
According to the protesters, more than 1,500 Pakistani trucks and around 2,000 drivers remain stranded in Afghanistan due to the prolonged border closure, leaving them in severe hardship.
They said many drivers have run out of money and were struggling to meet basic needs, while some have reportedly been forced to beg.They several of the drivers andcother crew members’ health condition deteriorated due to unavailablity of proper treatment and medicines. They said that the families of the stranded Pakistani citizens facing distress and psychological pressure.
The protesters urged both Pakistani and Afghan authorities to take immediate steps to resolve the issue and allow the safe return of stranded drivers and vehicles through the Torkham border.
They warned that if their demands were not addressed within a week, transporters in Landikotal would block the main highway and stop vehicles carrying Afghan families returning to Afghanistan.
The demonstrators called on both governments to resolve the issue through negotiations and ensure the early return of stranded Pakistani drivers to ease their difficulties.