Rally held in Landikotal against Torkham border closure

LANDIKOTAL: Political leaders, traders, labourers, and civil society members on Wednesday staged a protest demonstration at Bacha Khan Chowk in Landikotal Bazaar to denounce the closure of the Pak-Afghan Torkham border, which has disrupted life on both sides.

The protest was attended by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl leader Mufti Muhammad Ijaz Shinwari, Chairman of the Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association Mirajuddin Shinwari, President of the Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association Mujeeb Shinwari, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Muqtadar Shah Afridi, Torkham laborers’ leader Farman Shinwari, social worker and customs clearing agent Qari Nazim Gul Shinwari, Maulana Hazratullah, Zar Shah Shinwari, President of the Azad Tribes Transport Union Iqbal Khan, Kaleemullah Shinwari, and other tribal elders and residents.

The protesters carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans calling for a peaceful resolution to the border issue.The participants urged both Pakistan and Afghanistan to resolve their differences through dialogue, saying the people wanted peace, not war.

“Both are Islamic countries sharing close cultural and religious ties; therefore, the issue should be resolved through negotiations and traditional jirgas,” said Mufti Muhammad Ijaz. He urged authorities on both sides to immediately reopen the Torkham border and other crossing points for trade and pedestrian movement.

Mirajuddin Shinwari said the prolonged border closure had stranded hundreds of Afghan families returning home, causing immense hardship. He added that thousands of loaded and empty trucks were stuck on both sides, leading to heavy financial losses for transporters, drivers, and traders. The closure, he said, had left thousands of customs clearing agents, laborers, and daily wage earners jobless, pushing many into poverty.

“We seek peace, reconciliation, and brotherhood between Pakistan and Afghanistan,” said Mujeeb Shinwari.The speakers proposed forming a peace jirga comprising tribal elders and political leaders from both sides to mediate and find a lasting solution to the issue. They recalled that similar jirgas in the past had played a key role in reducing cross-border tensions.

The participants warned that if the border was not reopened for trade and pedestrian movement within a few days, tribal elders and residents from all parts of Khyber district would stage a permanent sit-in on the Pak-Afghan highway.