After a dispute over travel documents as Islamabad tightens its restrictions on cross-border travel, Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened a major commerce crossing on Tuesday, according to authorities from both countries.
Since January 12, the Torkham border has been closed. This is because Islamabad implemented stricter regulations that require drivers on both sides to have passports and visas, which many Afghans lack.
In recent months, diplomatic tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have escalated, primarily over Islamabad’s accusations that the Taliban government in Afghanistan has failed to address militants launching attacks from its territory into Pakistan.
The border crossing at Torkham, a crucial trade route, has now reopened after negotiations between the two countries. During discussions, it was agreed that until March 31, Pakistani and Afghan drivers can cross the border without a visa and passport. However, starting April 1, both a visa and passport will be mandatory.
This move follows Pakistan’s tightening of restrictions and intermittent border closures, seen as pressure tactics to prompt the Taliban government to collaborate on security issues. Pakistan, facing a significant threat from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), desires a more robust stance from Afghanistan against the TTP.
Additionally, Islamabad has recently expelled hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans living in Pakistan, with over 500,000 Afghans leaving in the four months since Islamabad’s imposition of a deadline for illegal Afghan residents to depart or face arrest and deportation.
The eviction scheme has affected even those who had lived their entire lives in Pakistan, contributing to the already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
