Pakistan Closes Torkham Gate, Disrupting Transit and Passenger Movement
Tawazon, Nangarhar: Pakistani authorities have shut down the Torkham crossing, halting all transit, passenger movement, and medical evacuations indefinitely.
According to local Taliban officials in Torkham, the closure was enforced late Friday night (February 21) around 10 PM.
Abdul Jabbar Hikmat, the Taliban commissioner for Torkham, confirmed that Pakistani forces sealed the gate after a dispute over infrastructure developments near the Durand Line. He stated that Pakistani troops attempted to construct facilities near their security post, leading to tensions and an abrupt border shutdown.
Sources report that thousands of travelers, including patients seeking medical treatment, remain stranded on both sides. Additionally, cargo trucks carrying goods between Afghanistan and Pakistan are stuck due to the sudden disruption.
The closure comes just days after a similar brief shutdown last week, raising concerns about the ongoing tensions at the border. Pakistani authorities have yet to provide an official explanation for the latest restriction.
The Torkham crossing is a critical trade and transit route between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and its repeated closures severely impact bilateral trade and humanitarian movement.
