Torkham border reopens after 20 days for Afghan refugees repatriation

KHYBER: The Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan was reopened on Saturday after being closed for 20 days, ARY News reported, citing official sources.

According to officials, the border has been reopened to facilitate the repatriation of Afghan refugees residing illegally in Pakistan. However, it remains closed for bilateral trade and pedestrian movement.

The Torkham crossing had been shut down following unprovoked firing by Afghan Taliban forces on Pakistani positions earlier this month.

Authorities said the reopening is part of Pakistan’s ongoing campaign to repatriate undocumented Afghan nationals who have been living in the country without legal status.

The Torkham border is one of the busiest crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, used daily by thousands of travellers and traders for cross-border movement and commerce.

Notably, Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban on Friday agreed to continue the ceasefire, and the next meeting is scheduled to be held on November 6, 2025, to discuss further modalities for implementation, according to a joint statement issued after talks in Istanbul.

The negotiations between Pakistan and Afghanistan took place in Istanbul under the mediation of Türkiye and Qatar.

According to the joint statement issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, delegations from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Qatar met in Istanbul from October 25 to 30, 2025, to consolidate the ceasefire agreed upon in Doha on October 18–19, 2025, with Turkish and Qatari mediation.

“All parties have agreed on the continuation of the ceasefire,” the statement said. “Further modalities for its implementation will be discussed and decided in a principal-level meeting in Istanbul on November 6, 2025.”

It added that all parties agreed to establish a monitoring and verification mechanism to ensure the maintenance of peace and impose penalties on any violating side.

The mediators, Türkiye and Qatar, expressed appreciation for the active engagement of both Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, reiterating their readiness to continue facilitating dialogue in pursuit of lasting peace and stability.