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KABUL – Pakistan on Saturday reopened the key Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after a two-week closure caused by border clashes, allowing the return of Afghan refugees and the resumption of trade. The reopening ends a standoff that had stranded thousands of people and vehicles on both sides.
According to Dawn, the crossing—closed since October 11 following an exchange of fire between border forces—has now been restored for both repatriation and commercial traffic. Afghan officials in Nangarhar province confirmed that returnees were being welcomed home through the reopened gate.
The closure had left hundreds of trucks loaded with goods and thousands of refugees stuck in limbo between Nowshera and Torkham, many without adequate food or water.
Tensions between the two countries have eased in recent days following Türkiye- and Qatar-mediated talks that led to a temporary ceasefire on October 15. Both sides later agreed to form a technical committee, with the first meeting scheduled for Istanbul to finalize de-escalation mechanisms.
The Torkham crossing, one of 18 official border points along the 2,670-kilometer frontier, is a vital trade and transit lifeline for landlocked Afghanistan, frequently disrupted by cross-border skirmishes.
