By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – Pakistan on Saturday has reopened the Torkham border crossing in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to facilitate the return of Afghan refugees to their home country, officials said.
Bilal Rao, deputy commissioner of Khyber district of the province, told the media that the border crossing resumed operations on Saturday morning to allow the repatriation of Afghan families who had been waiting on the Pakistani side for weeks.
He said hundreds of Afghan nationals had arrived at the immigration center, where documentation procedures were underway before allowing them to cross into Afghanistan.
Media reported that the repatriation process had been suspended on Oct. 11 after clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan erupted, prompting Islamabad to close all border crossings for trade and travel.
Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said during a media briefing that the border will remain “closed for trade for now,” although a ceasefire was formally reached in Doha on Oct. 1.
He added that the resumption of commercial activity will depend on the security situation.
Media reported that the closure of border crossings had halted bilateral trade for weeks, leading to rising prices of essential goods in parts of Pakistan.
