Pakistan, Afghanistan Reopen Torkham Border Crossing Following Almost A Month Of Shutdown – OpEd
By Umair Khan
The Torkham border terminal, the key trade and transit hub connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan, was formally re-opened after it had been shut for almost a month on account of brutal clashes between soldiers of the two nations.
Reopening of the vital crossing, artery of human currents and commerce since years, is a monumental relief moment for both countries, particularly war-torn Afghanistan that has seen a deadly humanitarian disaster.
The Khyber Pass border crossing was closed on February 21 following escalated tensions that led to armed fighting. The fight was the rocket and mortar crossfire between Afghan and Pakistani troops caused by Afghan protests against a recently opened Pakistani border outpost. The fight led to a collapse in cooperation where the two blamed each other for initiating the fight.
The two nations, after prolonged negotiations, agreed to open transit trade and grant the people freedom of movement in both directions. In an interview, Qureshi Badlon, the media representative of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, clarified that the opening of the border was a joint agreement to resume the trade between the two nations and enable people to move freely. From Friday, commercial traffic and individuals will be permitted to pass through the Torkham border crossing, which is one of the significant frontier points between the two nations.
Closure of Torkham had gigantic repercussions but primarily on Afghanistan, which relies on Pakistani imports. Stranded bumper-to-bumper at the border are caravan after caravan of trucks carrying staple foods like foodstuffs that have been there for weeks since locking up and playing their part in creating a disastrous humanitarian’s crisis. Keeping in view that Afghanistan proper is fighting endemic food insecurity and hardly managing to keep pace with mounting hunger crisis, opening trade will ease some pressure off already over-taxed resources in the country.
Afghan reliance on Pakistan for daily requirements and run-of-the-mill products is a hint towards such border crossing being economically significant towards development, yet survival in general terms by the millions. In the wake of relief agencies crying foul at growing humanitarian tragedy, re-opening comes as a hope for many Afghans that are reliant on cross-border trade.
Even the new variants, re-opening of the Torkham border is a good step in the bilateral relations between the two nations, which have had tested and tried traditional, cultural, and economic ties. The move has been viewed as a big move towards the normalization of trade ties, which can pave the way for more cooperation in the days to come.
While both countries open up ties and smooth out disputed matters along their shared border, the Torkham opening is a function of diplomatic and dialogue triumph in stopping regional as much as humanitarian conflict. The coming weeks will go a long way in assessing whether the steps can usher more profound longer-term peace across the border and provide lasting stability to the area.
