Afghan envoy demands reopening of Pak-Afghan border

Omar Zakhilwal says closure is causing 'hardships' for people on both sides

ISLAMABAD: Afghan ambassador to Islamabad Omar Zakhilwal has demanded authorities to reopen the Torkham border, saying the closure is causing 'hardships' for people on both sides.

Pakistan has accused Afghanistan of harbouring the militants who have carried out the most recent attacks in the country.

Minutes after the Sehwan suicide attack, which killed over 80 people, security forces closed the Pak-Afghan border for all sorts of communication indefinitely. Pakistan Army also moved heavy artillery towards the border in Chaman and Torkham districts.

Nearly a dozen training camps and hideouts of the terrorist groups were destroyed and over a dozen terrorists — including a top trainer of suicide bombers — were also killed in two days of artillery shelling by Pakistan Army on the border.



"As part of the quick de-escalation of the prevailing tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as agreed in our talks with the relevant Pak authorities a couple of days ago, Torkham, Spin Boldak and other crossing points should have reopened by now but unfortunately still remain shut," the envoy said in a statement on Thursday.

"In fact, formal trade and transit crossing points between our two countries, under no circumstances, should have been closed in the first place, both as per Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement (APTTA) and also Afghanistan’s land-locked country transit right as per international rules."

Zakhilwal expressed hope that the Pakistan military would open the border "without causing further hardships".