The Torkham border, one of the main crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been closed, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying essential goods stranded on both sides. The border closure came after an exchange of fire that occurred due to the construction of a new security post by Taliban guards near the Torkham border.
Pakistan has expressed surprise at the Afghan foreign ministry’s statement regarding the closure, asserting that the Afghan authorities are aware of the reasons for the temporary shutdown. The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, stated that Pakistan cannot tolerate the construction of structures by the interim Afghan government within its territory, as it violates Pakistan’s sovereignty.
The situation escalated on September 6th when Afghan troops engaged in indiscriminate firing, targeting Pakistani military posts and causing damage to the infrastructure at the Torkham Border Terminal. This action posed a risk to the lives of both Pakistani and Afghan civilians, as they were attempting to prevent the unlawful construction. Pakistan condemned the unprovoked and indiscriminate firing, stating that it could not be justified under any circumstances.
The spokesperson further highlighted that the firing by Afghan border security forces provided support and emboldened terrorist elements. These elements, as confirmed by the UN Security Council’s Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, enjoy safe havens within Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan share 18 crossing points, with Torkham and Chaman being the busiest, connecting Pakistan’s Balochistan province with Afghanistan’s Kandahar province.
Pakistan has witnessed an increase in terrorist attacks since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Interim Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, sent a demarche to the Afghan charge d’affaires following a terrorist attack on two military posts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Chitral district earlier this week.