Islamabad (Web Desk): Pakistan reopened the Torkham border crossing on Saturday after remaining sealed for 21 days, allowing the return of undocumented Afghan nationals as part of a repatriation effort revived under a newly reaffirmed ceasefire between Islamabad and Kabul.
The reopening came a day after both governments agreed in Istanbul to maintain peace along the frontier following several rounds of diplomatic discussions.
The repatriation process, which had been underway for months, was suspended on October 11 after violent exchanges between Pakistani and Afghan forces.
Those clashes, which persisted for several days, prompted Islamabad to shut down all trade and travel routes with Afghanistan until a ceasefire was negotiated in Doha on October 19.
Deputy Commissioner of Khyber Bilal Shahid said the border crossing at Torkham was temporarily reopened to enable Afghan nationals residing illegally in Pakistan to return home.
He confirmed that hundreds of Afghans had arrived at the immigration centre, where officials were completing verification and departure procedures before granting them entry into Afghanistan. However, he noted that normal pedestrian and trade movement would remain halted for the time being.
The move followed six days of talks between delegations from both sides, with Turkiye’s foreign ministry confirming on Thursday that the two neighbours had agreed to sustain the ceasefire
Speaking earlier, Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi stressed that Pakistan sought to avoid renewed hostilities with Afghanistan but expected the Taliban administration to prevent the use of its soil by groups operating against Pakistan.
He said Islamabad had repeatedly provided proof of the activities of networks identified as “Fitna al-Khawarij” and “Fitna al-Hindustan” inside Afghanistan.
Andrabi maintained that Pakistan had responded decisively to cross-border aggression and would continue to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in every circumstance.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021, Pakistan has faced a steady rise in terrorist attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Islamabad has frequently urged the Taliban authorities to act against militant factions behind these assaults, but the Afghan regime has shown little willingness to do so, instead offering sanctuary to several groups targeting Pakistan.
Tensions spiked on October 12 when Taliban forces launched unprovoked firing across the border, prompting Pakistan to retaliate with military strikes that killed more than 200 Taliban fighters and allied militants.
During the clashes, 23 Pakistani soldiers lost their lives. Pakistani forces also carried out strikes inside Afghanistan, including in Kabul, hitting militant hideouts.
The hostilities ended after Pakistan accepted the Taliban’s request for a temporary truce on October 17.
Delegations from both sides later met in Doha under Qatari mediation, reaching a ceasefire agreement. A subsequent round of discussions was hosted by Turkiye in Istanbul from October 25 to 31, where both countries reaffirmed their commitment to peace.
The next round of talks is scheduled to take place on November 6.