PM Imran to inaugurate Torkham border crossing today

PESHAWAR: Prime Minister Imran Khan will officially inaugurate the round-the-clock opening of the border crossing at Torkham between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

The spokesperson of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, Ajmal Wazir Khan, told ARY News that the PM will inaugurate the Torkham crossing today (Saturday).

He said the opening of the Pak-Afghan border will promote bilateral trade and economic activities between the countries.

The border has been opened on trial basis for twenty-four hours since 2nd of this month.

As per sources, from both sides of the border, the countries have increased the number of counters to more than 20 and also deployed additional officials to smoothly continue the trade activities for 24 hours.

Yesterday, hailing the border opening, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said Beijing was ready to build a cold storage and provide other facilities in Torkham area to encourage trade and commerce in the region.

“The functioning of the Torkham border crossing is very meaningful for expansion of trade in future,” the Chinese envoy stated during a two-day international conference on ‘Belt and Road Initiative, Pakistan and China Economic Corridor and Trans-Regional Integration’.

Earlier on July 31, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan had visited Torkham, the Pak-Afghan border crossing, to review arrangements so that the border could remain open round the clock.