Stranded Pakistanis urge govt to reopen Torkham border

LANDIKOTAL: Hundreds of Pakistani nationals stranded in Afghanistan for the last one month have appealed to the government to reopen the Torkham crossing on humanitarian grounds to facilitate their return.

The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan was closed on October 11 after a dispute erupted between the two sides, coupled with attacks on border posts and heightened tensions along the frontier. Pakistani officials said the closure followed repeated violations and security concerns. The standoff has since disrupted trade and the movement of thousands of people on both sides.

Fakhruddin Shinwari, a resident of Landikotal is a medicine trader trapped in Afghanistan, told this scribe by phone from Afghanistan that he has run out of money and was struggling to survive.

“It’s not only me; hundreds of other Pakistanis, mostly traders and truck drivers, are waiting desperately for the border to reopen,” he added. He said he was coming and going back to Jalalabad and Torkham for the last four weeks with hope that the border crossing would reopen.

Fakhruddin said he borrowed some amount from his friend in Afghanistan to survive. Another driver, Aslam Khan, said he and his coworker have been sleeping under their truck near the Torkham border for the past month. “The Afghan authorities allow us to cross but Pakistani border officials are not letting us enter our own country,” he lamented. Many of the stranded citizens said they have no money left to buy food and medicines. The drivers said they were suffering from chest infections and body pain due to the cold weather conditions.

Meanwhile, a large number of Pakistani students enrolled in Afghan medical and engineering colleges have also been affected by the ongoing border tension. Those stranded in Pakistan said their education has been disrupted and urged both governments to resolve the issue peacefully.

The stranded Pakistanis in Afghanistan have appealed to the authorities in Islamabad and Kabul to take immediate steps to ease their suffering and reopen the border for those wishing to return home.