Torkham border crossing reopens

The border crossing was closed after unprovoked firing by the Afghan troops on June 13, which claimed the life of Pakistan Army Major Ali Jawad Changezi.

Scores of other troops and civilians had sustained injuries in the firing incident.

The traffic remained suspended for five days after Afghan troops opened fire to halt construction of a gate on the border crossing inside Pakistani territory.

The border crossing was reopened for all kinds of traffic on Saturday morning after successful negotiations between authorities of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hundreds of vehicles carrying cargo and passengers were stranded at the border point amid tensions.

The people having legal travel documents being allowed to cross the border.

The authorities of Pakistan and Afghanistan had reached to a ceasefire agreement to reopen the border crossing after four days of hostilities.

Border Management System

Pakistan border authorities enforced the border management system at Torkham point under which nobody being permitted to enter Pakistan via the border crossing without having legal passport and valid visa from 1st June,2016.

Security on border was tightened with deployment of additional contingents of the border forces to curb the illegal entry of foreign nationals into Pakistan territory.

The officials said that the border initiative is the part of national action plan aiming to protect border which will be in the favor of long-lasting peace in both countries.

The move comes as Pakistan tries to secure the border with Afghanistan known as the Durand Line. The border is notorious for the unhindered crossing of people from both sides without proper travel papers. It is estimated that more than 10,000 people cross the border daily without any check.