Torkham Border Reopens After ‘Deadly’ Clashes

News Desk

Peshawar: After a successful round of dialogue between the Pakistani and Afghan authorities on Friday morning (September 15), the Torkham Border was reopened for all kinds of traffic.

Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) Director Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi and PAJCCI Co-Chairman Khan Jan Alkozai said that its good news for the business community that the border has been opened and bilateral trade has resumed between the two brotherly neighbouring countries after a hiatus of almost nine days.

The Torkham border was closed on September 6th due to a dispute over construction near the border which also resulted in cross-firing between the two forces. Later, all types of border crossings were fully prohibited by Pakistani authorities.

During the nine-day standoff, thousands of trucks loaded with cargo lined up on both sides of the border, damaging perishable items like fresh produce, meat, chicken and juices.

PAJCCI office bearers stressed the need that trade should not be stopped in the wake of any dispute between the two countries. The centuries-old trade route between Pakistan and Afghanistan will continue indefinitely, benefiting hundreds of thousands of people in both countries, they added.

The recent closure of the border has inflicted a loss of around three million US dollars on businessmen in both countries due to the rotting of perishable goods, stated Zia Sarhadi.

Businessmen from Pakistan and Afghanistan were of the opinion that promoting commercial operations is a critical requirement for both countries and will foster trade at the regional level, generating employment for a sizable number of people.

They also urged the quarters concerned to intensify checking procedures instead of stopping trade over reports of misuse of transit trade facilities.

In order to ensure adequate security checks and reduce smuggling, the business community is planning to fully cooperate with concerned departments in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sarhadi and Khan Jan further added

The continuation of trade with Turkey will allow Pakistan to expand its reach to markets in Central Asian Republics and even some European nations.

The recent initiative of allowing passage of Afghanistan-bound China shipments through Torkhem under the UN’s Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) Convention is a new opening and will bring a lot of business for both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

PAJCCI office bearers expressed the hope that thousands of stranded trucks at Torkham borders will reach their destinations within three to four days after the resumption of trade.