Several injured: Woman killed in Torkham crush

LANDI KOTAL/ QUETTA: Thousands more Afghan and Pakistani citizens crossed the border at Torkham and Chaman on Wednesday – the last day for stranded travellers on either side to return to their countries before Pakistani authorities closed the border indefinitely again.

The Friendship Gate at Chaman saw more movement on the second day of the two-day window with some 20,682 Afghans and 2,621 Pakistanis crossing the border to return to their countries, according to officials. Another over 12,000 Afghans and more than 50 Pakistanis used the Torkham crossing, Khyber Agency officials said.

“But many more are still waiting for the federal government’s orders to cross the border as they lack the necessary travel documents,” a Khyber Agency political administration official added.

At least one woman was killed and several others were injured when the crowd at Torkham turned into a stampede, officials posted at the crossing said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2017.