PM Khan directs ‘round the clock’ working of Torkham border

ISLAMABAD: Government of Pakistan on Monday decided to continue ‘round the clock’ trade activities between Pakistan and Afghanistan through Torkham border, ARY News reported.

The decision was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by Prime Minister’s Aide for Establishment, Muhammad Shehzad Arbab at the PM office, on directions of Imran Khan here in Islamabad.

The meeting – attended by the Secretaries of Interior, Defense, Commerce and Foreign ministries, officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and National Logistic Cell (NLC) and other concerned departments – was briefed that Torkham border remains open 8 to 10-hour daily for trade activities between both the countries.

Arbab ordered the concerned authorities to take immediate steps to ensure round the clock trade activities through Torkham border within 6 months.

The decision is aimed to expand bilateral relations and trade with the brotherly country, Afghanistan.

Taking on the micro-blogging website, twitter, PM Khan said, “The step will be instrumental in boosting bilateral trade & enhancing people to people contacts between the two brotherly countries”.

I have tasked the relevant govt stakeholders to make necessary arrangements for the Torkhum border to work round the clock within next 6 months. This step will be instrumental in boosting bilateral trade & enhancing people to people contacts between the two brotherly countries.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 28, 2019

Torkham border

Torkham is an Afghan city and a major border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, located along the international border between the two countries.

It connects Nangarhar province of Afghanistan with Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the busiest port of entry between the two countries, serving as a major transporting, shipping, and receiving site.

Highway 7 connects Torkham to Kabul through Jalalabad. On the Pakistani side, the border crossing is at the end of the N-5 National Highway, which connects it to Peshawar in the east and further connects it to Islamabad by other routes.