Pakistan-Afghan Border Reopens Post Successful Negotiations

_{REUTERS/Fayaz Aziz/file photo}

Pakistan and Afghanistan resolved a dispute over travel documents, leading to the reopening of a crucial trade crossing on Tuesday. The Torkham border, closed since January 12, had witnessed heightened tensions as Islamabad implemented stricter controls, mandating drivers from both sides to possess visas and passports—documents many Afghans lack.

The strained relations between the two countries have escalated, with Islamabad accusing the Taliban government of neglecting its responsibility to eliminate militants launching attacks in Pakistan. Kabul consistently rejects these allegations.

An unnamed Pakistan border official confirmed the reopening after negotiations between Islamabad and Kabul. The agreement allows Pakistani and Afghan drivers to cross the border without a visa and passport until March 31. However, starting from April 1, both documents will become mandatory.

Afghan Torkham official Abdul Jabbar Hikmat verified that trucks were permitted to cross without passports and visas on Tuesday.

In 2023, Pakistan experienced its highest casualties from armed groups in six years, with over 1,500 civilians, security forces, and militants killed, according to Islamabad's Center for Research and Security Studies. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the domestic chapter of the Taliban, poses a significant threat.

Pakistan asserts that the tightened trade restrictions and intermittent border closures are tactics to pressure the Taliban government into collaborating on security matters. A senior provincial government official in Peshawar stated that Pakistan desires Afghanistan to take a tougher stance against the TTP; otherwise, the trade route may face periodic closures.

Amid these tensions, Islamabad has expelled hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans residing in Pakistan. Over 500,000 Afghans left within four months of the eviction deadline imposed by Islamabad, targeting 1.7 million Afghans allegedly residing in the country illegally.

Millions of Afghans sought refuge in Pakistan over past decades, including around 600,000 since the Taliban ousted the US-backed government. The recent eviction scheme has forced some Afghans, who had spent their entire lives in Pakistan, to enter Afghanistan for the first time.

Upon arrival, these migrants have received limited assistance from the government and NGOs, adding to the challenges in a country grappling with one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.